The Nation Newspaper

Tag: fraud

  • Alleged N313m fraud: Court adjourns ruling on bail

    Justice Hadiza Shagari of the Federal High Court in Lagos will on October 24 rule on a bail application filed by four persons accused of N313 million fraud.

    Akala Anthony (49), Umar Ali (61), Saidi Oke (43) and Bashir Mohammed (44), through their lawyer, Akeem Balogun, filed the application on September 26, claiming to have been incarcerated for four months.

    They were charged along with Dr Chukwuemeka Anyanwu (50), Agboola Gbade (67), Nkechi Nwafor (43) and Larry Balogun (51), who were said to be at large.

    The judge had earlier issued a bench warrant for those at large and directed that they be separated from the charge so that those available could be arraigned.

    Two companies, Granytland Investment Limited and Abroad Development Foundation were also named in the charge.

    Balogun prayed that the court grant his clients bail on liberal terms, adding that they would not jump bail.

    Prosecuting counsel M. A AnimasHaun argued that the accused do not deserve to be granted bail due to the seriousness of the offence.

    The first to fourth respondents, in an amended charge, were accused of conspiring to defraud one Austin Albert of N313,200 million while pretending to assist him buy $1million.

    They allegedly committed the offence on June 15 in Lekki, Lagos.

    The alleged offence contravenes Section 8 (b) of the Advance Fee fraud and other Related Offenses Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3).

     

  • Pastor gets N.2m bail for alleged N1.5m fraud

    A 30-year-old pastor of a Pentecostal church in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, M.I. Akpan, was yesterday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Isokari Andrew-Jaja of a magistrates’ court in Port Harcourt for allegedly defrauding his victim, Mrs. Oluchi David, of N1.5 million.

    The incident reportedly occurred on December 8, 2016 at Area Command, Port Harcourt.

    He allegedly gave false information to a police inspector on October 6, 2017 that Mrs. David had summoned him before a shrine over undisclosed reason.

    The cleric pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail at N200,000. He was asked to produce one surety who must be a manager with a reputable company and resident in Port Harcourt.

    Police prosecutor Wilson Isaiah told the court that the suspect committed the offences between December 2016 and October 2017 and that they contravened Section 125(A) (1) (a) and Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Volume II Laws of Rivers State Nigeria 1999.

    Andrew-Jaja adjourned the case till October 31 for hearing.

     

  • Court orders Akpobolokemi to explain role in alleged N2.6b fraud

    Court orders Akpobolokemi to explain role in alleged N2.6b fraud

    A FEDERAL High Court in Lagos has ordered a former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, to explain his role in an alleged N2.6 billion fraud.

    Justice Ibrahim Buba overruled and dismissed the “no case” submission filed by Akpobolokemi and five other co-defendants.

    The other defendants are: Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Juan and two firms, Blockz and Stonz Ltd and Al-Kenzo Logistic Ltd.

    The judge ordered them to enter their defence on October 30.

    Justice Buba said the arguments on the no-case submission by defence counsel, Joseph Nwobike SAN, was without merit.

    He upheld the argument of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its counsel Rotimi Oyedepo that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants.

    Justice Buba said: “From the evidence of the first prosecution witness, it is well-established that all the defendants have a case to answer.

    “The exhibits tendered and testimonies of other witnesses have established that there is a prima facie case against the defendants. I see no merit in this application. This application lacks merit, so, it is overruled. The defendants should open their defence to prove their innocence”.

    On December 4, 2015, the EFCC arraigned the defendants on a 22-count charge of diverting N2.6b from NIMASA coffers between December 2013 and May 2015.

    The anti-graft agency claimed that the funds were approved by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation of a security project.

    The alleged offences contravene Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    The prosecution closed its case after calling 12 witnesses.

    But the defendants, rather than open their defence, filed no-case submissions, claiming that the EFCC failed to link their clients with the alleged funds diversion.

    Specifically, Nwobike said Akpobolokemi could not be liable because ex-President Jonathan and not Akpobolokemi approved the security project and the money disbursed.

    Other defendants’ counsel, Mr. Seni Adio (SAN), Ige Asemudara and Emeka Onyeke similarly urged the court to hold that the prosecution failed to link their clients to the alleged crime.

    But opposing the application, the prosecution maintained that the testimonies of the 12 witnesses called and the 77 exhibits tendered had successfully linked Akpobolokemi and others to the alleged fraud.

     

     

  • Pastor gets N.2m bail for alleged N1.5m fraud

    A 30-year-old pastor of a Pentecostal church in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, M.I. Akpan, was yesterday arraigned before Chief Magistrate Isokari Andrew-Jaja of a magistrates’ court in Port Harcourt for allegedly defrauding his victim, Mrs. Oluchi David, of N1.5 million.

    The incident reportedly occurred on December 8, 2016 at Area Command, Port Harcourt.

    He allegedly gave false information to a police inspector on October 6, 2017 that Mrs. David had summoned him before a shrine over undisclosed reason.

    The cleric pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail at N200,000. He was asked to produce one surety who must be a manager with a reputable company and resident in Port Harcourt.

    Police prosecutor Wilson Isaiah told the court that the suspect committed the offences between December 2016 and October 2017 and that they contravened Section 125(A) (1) (a) and Section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Volume II Laws of Rivers State Nigeria 1999.

    Andrew-Jaja adjourned the case till October 31 for hearing.

  • Ajudua seeks to quash $1 million fraud charge

    Ajudua seeks to quash $1 million fraud charge

    Lagos socialist, Fred Ajudua, Monday prayed an Ikeja High Court, to quash a $1 million fraud charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The EFCC, had in the charge, alleged that Ajudua and his an accomplice, Joseph Ochunor, in 1993 defrauded one Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Limited, a company based in Germany of $1 million dollars.

    At resumed proceedings before Justice Josephine Oyefeso Monday, his counsel,   Norrison Quakers (SAN) told the court that he has two applications pending before the court and that the prosecution had been copied.

    Quakers however accused the EFCC of not filing their court response on time.

    “My Lord, our application is dated May 9 and we are seeking that the fraud charge should be struck out.  We served the prosecution with a copy of the application on May 10.

    “The counter-affidavit of the prosecution was not filed within time and there was no application before the court to regularise same,” he said.

    Responding, counsel to the EFCC, Mr.  Seidu  Atteh, however disputed the senior lawyer’s claims insisting that the prosecution responded within time.

    “We filed a counter-affidavit dated May 17 and the learned senior counsel noted that there was a mistake on the date and we filed another one on October 10.

    “With the kind permission of the court, we will like to regularise same with an oral application,” he said.

    After the oral application of the EFCC counsel, Quakers told the court that he would respond to the counter-affidavit of the prosecution within seven days.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the case to November 30 for the hearing of the application seeking to quash the fraud charge.

  • Housewife remanded for alleged N810, 000 fraud

    A Kano Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded a 35-year-old housewife, Habibat Abubakar, in prison.

    She was charged with allegedly collecting N810, 000 from applicants on the pretext of securing jobs for them.

    Chief Magistrate Muhammad Idris, who gave the ruling, said the accused should remain behind bars until the next date of adjournment.

    Habitat, who lives in Babugaje Kumbotso Local Government, is standing trial on a two-count charge of alleged cheating and forgery.

    She, however, denied the charge.

    The prosecutor, Badamasi Gawuna, had told the court that a woman, Fatima Tijjani and 11 others of different addresses, reported the accused at Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission on September 6.

    He alleged that sometime in July the accused fraudulently collected N810,000 from the complainants with a promise to help them secure jobs.

    Habibat promised the complainants jobs at Kano State Senior Secondary School Management Board, he said.

    Gawuna alleged that the accused gave three offers and letters of posting to some of the complainants, which were believed to have been forged.

    The offences contravene sections 320 and 363 of the Penal Code.

    The case was adjourned till October18 for mention.

  • Man gets N5m bail for forex ‘fraud’

    An Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, has granted a 45-year-old man, Ighomrore Raymond, N5million bail following his arraignment for an alleged $388,372,29,000 (about N139,814,204) foreign exchange scam.

    Raymond, of Enodobi Street Ipaja, Ayobo, Lagos, was accused of absconding after obtaining $388,372,29,000 from a bureau de change operator under pretence that he was going to give him the naira equivalent.

    He is standing trial before Mrs A. A. Adetunji on a three-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining, and stealing preferred against him by the police.

    Prosecuting Inspector Francis Igbinosa said Raymond committed the alleged offence at about 2:30pm, last September 4, at Airport Road Ikeja Lagos.

    He alleged that the defendant and his accomplice at large conspired to obtain the said money.

    Raymond was accused of “fraudulently and dishonestly obtaining the sum from the complainant, Alhaji Nurudeen Abdulahi, but never paid the naira equivalent.

    Raymond pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Adetunji admitted him to N5million bail, with two sureties in the like sum.

    She adjourned till November 2.

  • Exclusive: Fraud Uncovered in Proposed Launch of Digital TV Services By TSTV

    Exclusive: Fraud Uncovered in Proposed Launch of Digital TV Services By TSTV

    The high expectations among Nigerians for an alternative to satellite television provider, DSTV has been shattered as the company that raised their hope, TSTV is unravelling owing to failure to obtain the necessary broadcasting and redistribution rights to the channels included its bouquet.

    In spite of officially launching on October 1, 2017 as heavily promoted, potential subscribers were soon disappointed as only dummies of TSTV’s set up boxes were symbolically unveiled at the event attended by Minister for Information, Alhaji Lain Mohammed. Subscribers have been told to wait indefinitely for commercial sale of the devices.

    The company, after the launch, issued a warning to would be subscribers not to pay for the set top boxes yet and to beware of scammers since it has not started selling the advertised devices. It said on its social media handles that “We wish to inform the general public that the commercial sale of TStv Africa decoders has not commenced and there is no request from TStv Africa to subscribers for payments of any kind whatsoever for decoders”
    “The public is hereby advised to disregard any instructions from any person(s) to make payments.”
    Details provided on its website indicated that “TStv Africa is a wholly owned Nigerian innovative Pay TV Operator with refined offerings of novel Pay As You View (PAYV) subscription, pause subscription, complimentary internet service, Video call and an array of amazing TV channels with premium entertainment, informative and educative programs that cut across all genres.”
    But documents exclusively obtained by The Nigerian revealed that TSTV is promising Nigerians what it does not presently own or have a right to. Several content owners have issued cease and desist order to the company, which effectively prevents it from launching its much-advertised products.
    beIN, a Qatar-based global sports entertainment group, which is the exclusive licensee of the broadcast rights to many international sporting leagues and other entertainment content, had written TSTV on September 28, two days before the launch notifying it of infringement on exclusive broadcast rights.
    The letter, titled “Illegal Pirating of beIN Content Cease & Desist,” raised the issue of “Intellectual property infringement by TSTV”, which has 10 of beIN’s channels forming the bulk of its sports offering.
    Turner Broadcasting System Europe Limited, Owners of a leading international news channel, CNN, also hit TSTV with a similar order one day before beIN. CNN warned that it has not given TSTV the rights to rebroadcast its channel as part of its bouquet contrary to the promotion of CNN on the new company’s website.
    “The distribution and broadcast of this channel without authorization will infringe our intellectual property rights and constitute acts of piracy. This would amount to unlawful use, which will infringe the rights and harm the interest of our company, and cause us substantial prejudice.
    “In this context, we invite you to undertake in writing not to distribute CNN, and not to use or reproduce the channels’ trademark on any advertising or promotional material.
    “In the absence of your confirmation should you include CNN within your channel line up we will take the necessary and appropriate measures and bring civil and criminal judicial actions in order to protect our rights,” the letter signed by a Director, Eleanor Browne warned.
    Meanwhile, a source in one of the regulators copied in the letters disclosed that there are several other cases and desist notices to TSTV in which the organization has been copied. The source, who does not want to be identified because he is not the official spokesperson, told The Nigerian that there is confusion as to why TSTV rushed to launch its services when it has no agreement with owners of the content it is promoting.

  • ‘N322m monthly payroll fraud in Bayelsa councils’

    ‘N322m monthly payroll fraud in Bayelsa councils’

    The Bayelsa State government has discovered N322 million monthly payroll fraud in local government areas.

    Commissioner for Education Jonathan Obuebite told teachers yesterday that the theft was discovered by a committee set up by the Governor Seriake Dickson to look into salary crisis in  councils.

    Speaking as a special guest at the World Teachers’ Day celebration in Yenagoa, Obuebite said the monthly theft was part of reasons councils could not pay primary school teachers and other workers.

    He said as part of efforts to sanitise the system, the governor vowed to send the report to a special judicial commission to ensure that persons involved in the rackets were prosecuted.

    Obuebite said after cleaning up the system, teachers and other council workers would get their arrears and would never be owed salaries.

    He said: “It will surprise you to know that the problems that we are having in the sector, where we have a monthly wage bill of over N1 billion, the committee uncovered a wastage of N322 million. That is the reason why the local governments cannot pay your salaries.

    “Every month from the teaching sector to the local government workers, more than N322 million is taken from the government and from you. It is your money. We hold it in trust for you. It is not the money of the governor, it is your money.

    “But every month, some persons will sit and take the money. With that discovery, the problem is not far-fetched. It is within. That is why the governor has decided that that monster for once, with your support and the support of Bayelsans, we are going to fight it to a standstill.

    “The committee report is to be submitted to a special judicial commission of enquiry. People have been complaining that we have been doing many verifications, without punishing anybody. But now the answer has come.

    “Your governor has decided to move a step forward. We are going to start with this because if we do not get the primary education system right, the benefits of what we have invested today, more than N55 billion providing infrastructure in education, will be a  waste. We have decided to address it and with you, that monster will be defeated”.

    Obuebite added that the report of another committee on Primary and Secondary Education Funding and Staffing, headed by Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) addressed issues affecting teachers.

    He said the committee, whose members were drawn from stakeholders in education, including chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), recommended the establishment of a special account for teachers’ salaries.

    “We recommended solutions which, when implemented, will give us lasting peace in the educational sector. One of the issues is salaries arrears and funding the sector moving forward. If there is any time we will renew your hope and confidence in the government, this is the time”.

    In his address, state NUT  Chairman Kalama Tonpre commended the governor for the construction and rehabilitation of school buildings, establishment of modern boarding secondary  schools, Teachers Training Institute and the African University.

    But he complained that primary education had shaky a foundation and appealed to the government to pay primary school teachers their nine-month salary backlog.

    Other problems he raised were acute shortage of teachers in the school system; non-payment of impress to headteachers of  primary schools; inadequate instructional materials; lack of funding; non-payment of N18,000 minimum wage, among others.

  • EFCC re-arrests Perm Sec for alleged N10b SURE-P fraud 

    EFCC re-arrests Perm Sec for alleged N10b SURE-P fraud 

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Wednesday re-arrested a Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Dr Clement Illoh Onubuogo, for alleged N10b SURE-P fraud.

    The agency’s operatives picked him up at the premises of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    He was alleged to have shunned an invitation to clear the air over an alleged diversion of N606million SURE-P fund under his watch.

    EFCC said Onubuogo converted the funds from the N10billion released by the Federal Government during his supervision of the Subsidy Reinvestment (SURE-P) programme.

    Onubogo was in court for his trial in a separate charge filed against him by the commission.

    He was earlier arraigned for allegedly not declaring some of his hidden cash assets.

    EFCC said he failed to declare N97, 300,613.44, $139,575.50 and £10,121.52 found in three of his bank accounts.

    Onubuogo pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned before Justice Babs Kuewumi.

    When the case was called yesterday, no EFCC counsel was present.

    Onubuogo’s lawyers A. Dada and T. S. Awhana said the defendant was very ill and asked for an adjournment to enable him get treatment.

    The defendant also appeared restless while in the dock. He laid his head by the side of the dock in apparent discomfort.

    The judge noted that he adjourned several cases so that more time could be spent on the trial.

    He agreed to adjourn the case as no prosecution was present and in view of the defendant’s health condition.

    As the case was being adjourned, EFCC’s lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo walked in.

    The defence counsel who were already on their way out also returned to the courtroom to complain to the judge that Onubuogo had just been arrested.

    Dada faulted EFCC for arresting his client, who he said was already on bail, and denied that his client shunned invitation.

    But, Oyedepo said no law stops anyone undergoing trial from being re-arrested for another criminal matter.

    “The money belongs to all of us and we should all support efforts towards recovering it,” Oyedepo said.

    The judge said having already adjourned the case, there was nothing he could do about the Permanent Secretary being re-arrested in court.

    Onubuogo had on September 8 objected to EFCC’s application seeking the final forfeiture of N664, 475,246.6 and $137,680.11 allegedly recovered from him.

    The court had earlier ordered the interim forfeiture of the money following an August 15 motion ex-parte application by the EFCC.

    Justice Abdulazeez Anka, who ordered the interim forfeiture, also authorised the EFCC to seize a property described as “Clement Illoh’s Mansion” at Ikom Quarters, Issala-Azegba in Delta State and a hotel on 19, Madue Nwafor Street, off Achala Ibuzo Road, Asaba, Delta State.

    Awhana, while acknowledging the receipt of the motion for final forfeiture, said he had already filed a counter-affidavit against it.

    The lawyer added that he filed a notice of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction to make the interim order.

    The court had directed the EFCC to notify the Permanent Secretary, in whose possession the properties were found, to appear before the court and show cause within 14 days why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The judge also directed the publication of the interim orders in any national newspaper for any interested person to appear before the judge to show cause within 14 days why the order should not be made permanent.

    Justice Kuewumi adjourned until November 30 for trial.

    A date is yet to be fixed for the forfeiture hearing.