The Nation Newspaper

Tag: re-arraigned

  • Alleged $2.1b fraud: Dasuki, five others re-arraigned on 25-count amended charges

    THE Federal Government yesterday re-arraigned a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd) on a fresh 25-count charge before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama.

    Dasuki  was re-arraigned with a former Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda, former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, his son, Sagir Dalhatu, and their family company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.

    However, like the charge of Wednesday, the former Director of Finance and Supply in the Office of NSA under Dasuki, Mr. Salisu Shuaib, was dropped from the list of accused persons.

    Counsel to Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), confirmed to the court that after the examination of the report of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the alleged money diversion, it became imperative to drop Shuaib from the charge.

    He said: “Instead of being a co-accused person, the former Director of Finance will now be used to as a witness to testify for Federal Government in the trial of the five defendants.”

    Part of the charge against Dasuki was that he misappropriated and engaged in alleged criminal breach of trust by dishonestly transferring the sum of N3.5 billion into the account of Dalhatu Investment Limited, an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code.

    Yuguda was alleged to have dishonestly misappropriated a sum of $9.8 million, an equivalent of N1.9 billion and another N200 million he allegedly transferred to the bank account of Jabbama Ada Global Services, an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act.

    On their part, Bafarawa, Sagir and Dalhatu Investment were charged with dishonestly receiving N4.6billion from the Office of Dasuki, an offence punishable under Section 97 of the Penal Code.

    Aside the five defendants, other prominent politicians were named in the charge as beneficiaries of the alleged Public fund diversion.

    They include a former Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja, former Chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention Chief Tom Ikimi and  Robert Azibola, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

    But the five defendants pleaded not guilty to the amended charge dated May 11 and signed by EFCC Director of Legal and Prosecution Department Mr. Chile Okoroma.

    Mr. Olajide Ayodele (SAN), counsel for Yuguda, Dr. Kayode Olatoke (SAN) for Bafarawa and others prayed the court to allow the defendants to enjoy their existing bail.

    Baba-Yusuf granted their prayers and adjourned until July 9 and July 10 for beginning of trial.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Alleged diversion of N13b arms fund: Dasuki, Bafarawa, others re-arraigned

    Alleged diversion of N13b arms fund: Dasuki, Bafarawa, others re-arraigned

    Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki, ex-Governor of Sokoto State Attahiru Bafarawa and four others were re-arraigned yesterday before a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama over their alleged involvement in the diversion of N13 billion meant to buy arms for the military.
    Others are Sagir (Bafarawa’s son), a former Director of Finance and Administration in the Office of the NSA, Shuaibu Salisu, an ex-Minister of State for Finance, Bashir Yuguda and a firm linked to Sagir – Dalhatu Investment.
    They were earlier arraigned on the same charge before another judge of the court, Justice Peter Affen.
    Their re-arraignment before Justice Hussein Baba Yusuf yesterday was informed by the transfer of the case to Justice Yusuf’s court.
    Another case on related issue involving Dasuki and some other set of people is also pending before Justice Yusuf.
    Both cases are now to be tried by the same judge.
    Yesterday, Dasuki was brought to court from the custody of the Department of State Service (DSS), where he is being held since his arrest in 2015.
    Dasuki and others pleaded not guilty to the 22-count charge when it was read to them yesterday.
    The charge was filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
    They are charged with criminal breach of trust, receiving stolen property and misappropriation of about N13 billion.
    After the defendants pleaded to the charge, defence lawyers, including Ahmed Raji (SAN), urged the court to allow their clients to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them.
    Raji, who represented Dasuki, urged the judge to re-affirm the bail with respect to his client for the purpose of restating it to the DSS that has refused to release his client despite meeting the bail conditions.
    Lead prosecuting lawyer Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) opposed Raji’s application, arguing that it was unnecessary.
    In a ruling, Justice Yusuf noted that he had earlier ruled that the EFCC was not in disobedience of the court orders granting bail to Dasuki, as the ex-NSA was being held by another agency, which was not involved in the case.
    He granted the defence lawyers’ request that the defendants be allowed to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them.
    The judge adjourned to February 24 for the beginning of trial.

  • Couple re-arraigned for alleged N97m fraud

    The Federal Government yesterday re-arraigned a couple, Mrs Uchenna Abazu and her husband, Tochukwu, for allegedly defrauding a bank and the government of N97 million.

    They were docked before Justice Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    The two were previously arraigned before Justice Charles Achibong, who was retired by the National Judicial Council (NJC), which necessitated the case starting de novo (afresh).

    The prosecution said Mrs Abazu, while a worker of Fidelity Bank Plc, Ikoyi branch, conspired with her husband to perpetrate the fraud.

    The four-count charge was signed by Mrs. C.M. Efobi of the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

    The prosecution alleged that Mrs Abazu, between February 29, 2008 and February 12, 2009, in her capacity as Executive Assistant with E. Business Unit, Domestic Operations of Fidelity Bank Plc at 23, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, within the court’s jurisdiction, did conspire with her husband to commit a felony.

    They allegedly forged a statement of account numbered 027402010024417 belonging to Tochukwu.

    The prosecution said they made false entries to the account opened with Fidelity Bank Plc on June 6, 2007.

    All the entries allegedly amounted to about N97 million.

    The government said they did so knowing that they were false entries and were acted upon as genuine through several Fidelity Bank Plc cheques.

    They also allegedly forged some documents with which they perpetrated the fraud, which contravene Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 of the Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

    Justice Yinusa granted bail on the terms given them by the former judge.

    He adjourned till June 12 for trial.

  • Three marketers re-arraigned

    Three marketers re-arraigned

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday re-arraigned before an Ikeja High Court, Lagos, three oil marketers for allegedly obtaining fraudulently, N789.6million from the Federal Government.

    Adamu Maula, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah, the suspects, were brought before Justice Lateefat Okunnu on an eight-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, forgery and altering.

    The three men, who were on October 5, last year arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru with their companies-Downstream Energy Sources Limited and Rocky Energy Limited, pleaded not guilty.

    Their re-arraignment followed the elevation of Abiru to the Court of Appeal.

    EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), at the re-arraignment, told the court of the development in the case.

    He told the court that the defendants, between March 2011 and January 2012 in Lagos, fraudulently obtained N789.6 million from the Federal Government.

    Jacobs said the men forged documents, including a bill of lading, certificate of quantity, certificate of origin and cargo manifest, which they used to facilitate the fraud.

    He said the defendants obtained the money from the Petroleum Support Fund for a purported importation of 14.2 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from Europe.

    The alleged offences, Jacobs said, contravened sections 1(1)(2)(3) and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2006, as well as sections 363 and 364 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos 2003.

    She adjourned the matter till May 8 for trial.

  • Three CAC pastors re-arraigned for forgery

    Three pastors of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) were yesterday re-arraigned for forgery at the Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The development followed the transfer of the judge handling the case, Justice Jonathan Shakharo, from Ibadan.

    The pastors-Elijah Olusheye, Johnson Olabisi and Gideon Okegwemeh- and a worker at the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abdul-Hakeem Mohammed, reappeared before before Justice A. O. Obaseki-Adejumo.

    They were accused of deceiving the government with forged documents to obtain a new Certificate of Registration for the church.

    The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Justice Obaseki-Adejumo upheld the bail earlier granted the accused persons and adjourned hearing till November 12 and 18.

    Justice Shakharo had granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each and one surety each in like sum.