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Tag: Wilson Uwujaren

  • EFCC arrests fake pastor over alleged N1.8bn contract scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested a “pastor’’ over an alleged contract scam of N1.8 billion.

    The spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, identified the suspect as James Ezekiel.

    Ezekiel, according to the commission’s spokesman, claimed to be the presiding pastor of One Touch Power Ministry, Agudama, Epie in Bayelsa.

    He said the suspect was arrested by operatives at the Port-Harcourt Zonal Office of the commission.

    Uwujaren said the suspect allegedly defrauded an unsuspecting victim of N1.3 million by deceiving him to enlist as one of the “financiers’’ of a spurious N1.8 billion contract.

    He added: “Ezekiel claimed to have won a contract for the roofing of a church cathedral belonging to the Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    “He reportedly put the contract sum at N1.8 billion and showed a contract award letter to his victim.

    “He also wooed his victim to collaborate with him as one of the “financiers” of the contract.

    “Ezekiel promised the victim mouth-watering interests on his investment’’.

    Trouble started for the suspect when the victim demanded repayment of his money with interests, which he couldn’t pay immediately.

    Uwujaren said investigations showed that the suspect delayed making the payment by deceiving him that he had been paid N800 million as mobilisation fee for the contract.

    He said Ezekiel lied that he could not access the funds because his company’s account had been frozen by the EFCC.

    Read Also: Court to Buhari: Order EFCC, others to release report on budget padding

    Uwujaren said the suspect also contrived a fake EFCC’s e-mail message notifying him of the freezing of the account.

    He said that the victim suspected foul play and petitioned the commission to help him reclaim his money.

    “Further investigations showed that the Salvation Ministries did not award any contract to Ezekiel and no transfer of N800 million was made into his company’s account.

    “Besides, the e-mail address he ascribed to the EFCC does not belong to the commission.

    “The suspect allegedly initiated the scam to fraudulently obtain money from the petitioner and other unsuspecting members of the public.

    “The suspect is in the custody of the EFCC and will be charged to court soon,’’ Uwujaren said.

    EFCC had on May 23, arrested another ‘fake’ pastor, ThankGod Udechukwu, in Lagos for allegedly duping a member of his church millions of naira

  • EFCC committed to judicial precepts – Magu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) says it is committed to judicial precepts in the discharge of its functions as anti-corruption watchdog.

    Its Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, stated this in Enugu on Monday, according to a statement by the commission’s spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren.

    Uwujaren said Magu spoke when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chief Judge of Enugu State, Justice Ngozi Emehelu, in Enugu.

    “We are here to thank you for all your support and also to solicit for more, knowing that we are not above board and will constantly need directions and guidance in the work we do.

    “The judiciary is instrumental to the Commission’s achievement, and your support is highly needed for continued success.

    “We do not claim monopoly of knowledge, and we are seeking not just your support but also that of Nigerians to do the needful so that the country will move on positively,” Magu was quoted as saying.

    Responding, Justice Emehelu expressed delight at the visit of the EFCC boss whom she described as a formidable and hardworking man.

    She assured her guest that the judiciary was poised to support EFCC in its “commendable efforts at eradicating corruption from the country”.

    “The work we do and yours are very similar because they are service and public oriented jobs that call for closer synergy between not just the EFCC and the judiciary  but also among other law enforcement agencies.

    “We are ready and willing to support you but on the basis of mutual respect.”

    Describing the judiciary as the balance between the legislature and executive, the chief judge said the need for speedy trial of criminal cases could not be over-emphasised.

    The judiciary, according to her, is committed to effective justice delivery and speedy determination of cases.

    Magu later addressed personnel of the Enugu zonal office of the commission during which he urged them to see their official assignment as a divine call to serve humanity.

    He advised the staff to jealously protect the integrity of the EFCC by shunning underhand dealings.

    “You must be committed to your work and not mind the temptations because we will not spare anyone who is corrupt.

    “You cannot be fighting corruption and be corrupt,” he said, according to the spokesman.

    Uwujaren said Magu’s working visit to the South-East began on Saturday with a meeting with members of the EFCC/CSO/Labour Coalition.

    NAN

  • EFCC recovers N102m for Bank of Agriculture

    EFCC recovers N102m for Bank of Agriculture

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ), Kaduna zonal office, has recovered N102 million diverted from the Bank of Agriculture ( BOA ) in Kebbi.

    A statement by the spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said the funds were diverted by beneficiaries of the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN ) Anchor Borrowers Programme, disbursed by BOA.

    Uwujaren said so far a total of N297 million had been recovered by the commission in favour of BOA in Kaduna and Kebbi states.

    The Head of Operations of the Kaduna office, Ibrahim Bappa, formally presented a bank draft for the N102 million to one Mohammed Babangida, who represented the BOA Managing Director.

    Bappa assured the bank that the EFCC would continue to assist it in the discharge of its statutory duties.

    He, however, decried the worrisome trend in which beneficiaries of the scheme diverted the funds, and urged the BOA to ensure proper orientation before loans were disbursed.

    Responding, Babangida lauded the efforts of the EFCC in the recovery, saying the action had restored confidence in the bank.

    The EFCC spokesman said investigations into the matter began in 2017 following a complaint.

    According to him, the complaint bordered on the diversion of part of the N12 billion disbursed to some rice farmers through BOA in which Kebbi acted as uptaker for the purchase of paddy rice.

    “In the course of investigations, it was revealed that some rice mills in Kebbi collected bags of rice but failed to remit the total agreed sum.

    “So far, the Kaduna zonal office of the EFCC has been able recover N297 million in favour of the Anchor Borrowers Programme in Kaduna and Kebbi States,” he said.

    NAN

  • EFCC arrests 13 suspected internet fraudsters

    EFCC arrests 13 suspected internet fraudsters

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 13 suspected internet fraudsters for conspiracy, possession of fraudulent documents and obtaining money under false pretence.

    The EFCC spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said the Lagos zonal office of the anti-graft agency effected the arrests.

    “They were arrested on Saturday, December 16, 2017 in some parts of Lagos and Ogun States, following intelligence report received by the Commission about their activities.EFCC

    “The suspects allegedly confessed to be involved in phishing, love scam, forgery, spoofing and business email compromise, among other offences,” he said.

     

    According to the EFCC spokesman, some of the suspects live flamboyantly without any known sources of income, and are said to have bought houses and exotic cars from the proceeds of their criminal activities.

    He said they were allegedly found to be in possession of forged contract papers of multinational oil and gas companies, banks’ instruments and forged data page of international passports of foreign nationals, among other documents.

    Other items recovered from the suspects, he stated, included laptops, flash drives, modems, one Range Rover SUV, one Toyota Highlander, Two Toyota Corolla and one Toyota Camry.

    Uwujaren said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.

    NAN

  • Maina: EFCC denies sharing 222 recovered pension properties

    Maina: EFCC denies sharing 222 recovered pension properties

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has denied allegations that 222 Pension Properties recovered from pension thieves had been shared under its watch.

    Senator Emmanuel Paulker, chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial reinstatement of wanted Abdulrasheed Maina, had on Thursday alleged that 222 houses recovered by Maina task force had been shared.

    But the anti-graft agency in a statement, by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren said that the supposed 222 pension properties didn’t exist and the recovered assets were intact.

    Read Also: Reps seek probe of Maina’s reinstatement

    He said, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to comments attributed to the Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee investigating the controversial reinstatement of Abdulrasheed Maina, Senator Emmanuel Paulker, alleging that officials of the Commission had shared 222 properties which Maina’s Panel seized from pension fund thieves”.

    “This sweeping allegation, coming from a Senate Committee is disturbing more so as no attempt was made to verify the information from the Commission. The EFCC was never invited by the Committee and given the opportunity to educate it on the status of assets seized from suspected pension thieves; yet the Committee was comfortable to scandalize the EFCC with the public disclosure of unverified claims by unknown interests”.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, there are no 222 properties anywhere that were shared by anybody. The EFCC did not receive a single property from Abdulrasheed Maina”.

    “All the pension fraud assets that are in the recovered assets inventory of the Commission were products of independent investigation by the EFCC, for which Maina and his cohorts had no clues. If Maina or any government official witnessed the sharing of any recovered pension assets by any official of the EFCC, they should be willing to name the official, the assets involved; when and where the ‘sharing’ took place”.

    “As far as the EFCC is concerned, there is no controversy regarding the status of assets recovered from suspected pension thieves. The record of all the recovered assets from both the Police Pension and the Pension Office of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as well as their current status are intact, and have been communicated to the relevant organs of government”.

    “However, in view of the consistent display of public ignorance about the profile of recovered assets by even those who should know, it is important to state that it is impossible for anybody to share a property that is subject of interim forfeiture by court. Of all the properties seized from pension fraud suspects, it is only properties that are linked to John Yusuf, who was convicted under a plea bargain arrangement that had been forfeited permanently and handed to government”.

    “All the others, with the exception of Brifina Hotel, are subject of interim forfeiture. And the cases are ongoing in courts”.

  • Magu in Austria, says EFCC recovered N738.9bn in two years

    Magu in Austria, says EFCC recovered N738.9bn in two years

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) on Wednesday in Austria said it recovered loots totaling N738.9 billion or $2.9 billion between May, 2015 and Oct. 20, 2017.

    Its Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, stated this at the ongoing 7th Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption holding in Vienna.

    Spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, gave account of Magu’s engagement in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.

    In a presentation titled: “International Cooperation in Relation to Tecnical Assistance: The Nigerian Experience”, Magu said the sum was exclusive of smaller currencies in Durham, CRA and British Pound.

    He stated that the commission had made a lot of recoveries locally using the mechanism of the non-conviction based forfeiture provided under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

    “Within this year alone, the commission recovered stolen assets running into several millions of US Dollars and billions in naira.

    “These include the sum of $43 million recovered from Deziani Allison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum and N2 billion spread in seven accounts within three Nigerian banks laundered from the Federal Capital Territory Police Command Salary Accounts”, he explained.

    Magu, who was said to be a panelist at the Implementation Review Group attended by over 100 delegates, detailed the Nigerian efforts in asset recovery.

    He said the country had also made progress in specific cases related to Abacha loot, Malabu Oil, Diezani and associates, and the arms procurement scandal.

    These efforts, he said, cut across Switzerland, USA, UK, UAE, Jersey Island and Panama.
    In his recommendations, the EFCC boss sought improved coordination and cooperation among state parties in asset recovery.

    He said this could be done through the consideration and adoption of measures that would remove traditional barriers such as bank secrecy in line with Article 46(8) and dual Criminality Article 46(9) as well as simplify legal technicalities in the recovery and repatriation of stolen funds.

    He further sought measures to reduce cost of recovery of assets for developing countries and ensure speedy return of all stolen assets to victim states in line with the current resolution sponsored by Nigeria.

    He also called for sanction and prosecution of any financial institution that violates AML/CFT measures and the maintenance of a public register on beneficial ownership.

    Meanwhile, Nigeria has received global commendation for its doggedness in tracing and recovery of its solen assets, according to the commission’s spokesman.

    Uwujaren said the commendation came at a meeting between Magu and Dr Nassar Abaalkhail, the Head of International Collaboration, National Anti-Corruption Commission, Saudi Arabia.

    The meeting, which held on the sidelines of the conference, followed Magu’s presentation, Uwujaren said.

    He quoted Abaalkhail as saying that Nigeria’s efforts at loot recovery were remarkable.

    “From what I have heard, Nigeria’s effort at asset tracing is remarkable. Nigeria is indeed a role model for countries, including developed countries.

    “We have so much to learn from Nigeria”, he said.

    Uwujaren said the Iranian National Focal Point for the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, Dr Mohsen Mardal, also commended the Nigerian presentation.

    Similarly, the Commissioner, Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Agency, Ady Macauley, said the EFCC was not only “formidable, but a pride to the African States”.

    “My men were in Nigeria a fortnight ago to understudy your operations, I must confess, we have a lot to learn in investigation, prosecution and asset recovery”.

    NAN

  • EFCC to go after human traffickers – Magu

    EFCC to go after human traffickers – Magu

    Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ), Mr Ibrahim Magu, has expressed the commission’s resolve to go after human traffickers.

    Magu said this when a delegation from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons ( NAPTIP ) visited him in Abuja.

    Spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who reported the visit in a statement, said the NAPTIP delegation was led by its Director-General, Dame Julie Okah-Donli.

    Magu said the anti-graft agency had jurisdiction over human trafficking, which he said, was an offshoot of corruption.

    “We are prepared to go after human traffickers, because we strongly believe that it is an aspect of corruption, and corruption is the greatest enemy of Nigeria.

    “Corruption is the reason why young Nigerians are risking their lives walking through the Mediterranean up to Spain and other European countries in search of greener pasture.

    “It is a very sad situation, and we must change the trend by ensuring that we join hands to fight corruption, as this is the only solution to the ills militating against our country’s development,” he said.

    While calling for NAPTIP’s partnership in the fight against corruption, Magu assured Okah-Donli of the EFCC’s support in combating the increasing cases of “organ harvesting” involving Nigerians.

    “EFCC has an enormous task in the fight against corruption, and NAPTIP is also a stakeholder in the fight, so we also need your assistance and collaboration,” he said.

    Okah-Donli, who said the visit was part of the agency’s familiarisation efforts, used the opportunity to highlight NAPTIP’s strides in combating human trafficking in the country.

    According to her, the agency has busted a number of criminal activities, recorded 331 convictions since 2004, with various other ongoing cases at advance stages in courts.

    She added that NAPTIP had rescued many trafficked youths who were being rehabilitated and given a new lease of life.

    Okah-Donli said: “organ trafficking, which is now becoming a big business, is another form of human trafficking”.

    She said many youths were being lured into it and they become afraid to come out to tell their stories.

    The DG requested for assistance of the EFCC in confiscating assets of traffickers, and also in the area of training and developing its own academy. NAN

  • Magu calls for bottom-up anti-corruption initiatives

    Magu calls for bottom-up anti-corruption initiatives

    Mr Ibrahim Magu, acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ), has called for anti-corruption initiatives at the grassroots level.

    Magu made the call on Tuesday while receiving an honorary award of excellence from a delegation of the National Association of Polytechnic Students ( NAPS ) which visited him in Abuja.

    He said in a statement by EFCC Spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, that there was need for education to be in the vanguard of teaching and awareness-creation on anti-corruption as a proactive measure to tackling the monster.

    The call came amid suggestions by anti-corruption campaigners that state and local governments are aloof in the ongoing anti-graft war.

    Mr Peter Adeyemi, Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ), emphasised this point at an anti-corruption dialogue in Abuja in March.

    Adeyemi had said there was no evidence to show that the state and local governments were in support of the Federal Government’s war against graft.
    “If we are seriously fighting corruption as a nation, we must ensure that all strata of government keys in,” he said.

    “The invitation to curb corruption in Nigeria is open to everyone.

    “It is my desire for the Nigerian youth and indeed, everyone to partner with EFCC in this fight against corruption.

    “The celebration of corruption must stop as corruption is evil. We must join forces to combat this societal ill,” Magu said.

    The leader of the delegation, Jamilu Hassan of the Federal Polytechnic Bida, Niger State, said the award was in recognition of Magu’s outstanding contribution to the war against corruption.

    NAN

  • EFCC confirms arrest of Ekiti finance commissioner, Accountant General

    EFCC confirms arrest of Ekiti finance commissioner, Accountant General

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has confirmed the arrest of two key officials of the Ekiti State Government for alleged misuse of bailout funds.

    In a statement on Thursday evening, spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, identified the officials as the Commissioner for Finance and the Accountant General of the state.

    Uwujaren said they were picked up by EFCC operatives “following their refusal to honour previous invitations for interrogation in relation to pending investigation on the misuse of bailout funds by the Gov. Ayodele Fayose administration”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the arrest came on the day that Gov. Fayose formally declared his intention to run for the President in 2019 election.

  • EFCC lauds CJN’s move to prioritise corruption cases

    EFCC lauds CJN’s move to prioritise corruption cases

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) has commended recent move by the judiciary to prioritise corruption and financial crime cases brought before it.

    The commendation is in a statement by Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren in Abuja on Wednesday.

    Uwujaren quoted the commission’s Acting Chairman, Mr Ibrahim Magu, as saying the development was right step in the right direction.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen, announced the initiative at the opening of the 2017/2018 Legal Year in Abuja on Monday.

    Onnoghen directed  all heads of courts to compile and farward comprehensive lists of corruption and financial crime cases before them to National Judicial Council (NJC).

    He said where such cases came on appeal to the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court, special dates should be fixed for them every week.

    “In order for the NJC to monitor and effectively enforce the foregoing policy, anti-corruption cases trial monitoring committee will be constituted at the next council meeting.

    “This committee would be saddled with, among other things, the responsibility of ensuring that both trial and appellate courts handling corruption and financial crime cases key into and abide by our renewed efforts at ridding our country of the cankerworm,” the CJN had said.

    He also directed heads of courts to clamp down on both prosecution and defence counsel who indulged in delay tactics to stall criminal trials.

    The EFCC boss lauded the initiative, which he said would curtail “unnecessary delays in prosecution of corruption cases.”

    Uwujaren stated that Magu had expressed optimism that the innovation would strengthen the fight against economic and financial crimes in the country.

    He quoted the EFCC boss as saying “the spate of frivolous and unwarranted adjournments at instances of defence  for the purpose of stalling proceedings is over.

    “With special courts, cases stand great chance of being disposed of quickly.

    “We had clamoured for the creation of special or dedicated courts for over six years.

    “So, the action of the CJN is commendable.”