Come And See What Witness Tells Court On How Bishop Oyedepo's Church Got N35m From Army General Involved In N19.7b Fraud

• Mr. Ahidjo Ikem, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness,  on Friday, informed  a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos how the Bishop David Oyedepo-owned Living Faith Church received the sum of N35 million from Major-General Emmanuel Atewe, a former Commander of joint Task Force (JTF).

• Major-General Atewe is being prosecuted for alleged involvement in a  N19.7 billion fraud.

Bishop David Oyedepo

Mr. Ikem is Managing Director of five of the seven companies charged alongside Major-General Atewe, Mr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, former Director-General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA); Kime Egonzu and Josephine Otuaga for alleged fraud.

The accused are facing an amended 22-count charge bordering money laundering.

Mr. Ikem's companies charged along with the accused persons are Jaggan Limited, Jaggan Trading Company Limited, Jaggan Global Services Limited, Al-Nald Limited and Paper Warehouse Limited. Other companies charged are Eastpoint Integrated Services Limited and De-Newlink Integrated Services Limited.

At the resumed trial of the accused persons on Friday, Mr. Ikem Justice Ayokunle Faji that his five companies were used by Major-General Atewe to launder  the said sum of N4. 9 billion from the JTF's account.

While being led-in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Ikem said he first  met Major-General Atewe at the Aso Rock Villa Chapel, where they both worshipped, when the latter was Commander, Brigade of Guards.

Sometimes between July and September 2014, the witness told the court, Major-General Atewe was appointed JTF Commander and invited him to Balyesa State. There, Mr. Ikem added, Major-General Atewe told him that he had won a Federal Government contract for maintenance of security and building of barracks. The JTF Commander, the witness further said, asked if he has a company into which the , he should supply it, as the money for the contract could  be paid.

He stated that he gave the names, addresses and bank details of his five companies to Major-General Atewe.

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Former Plateau State Govrnor Joshua Dariye N1.162b Alleged Fraud Suit Adjourned Till March 2

•  Dariye is facing a 21-count charge bordering on breach of trust and diversion of N1.162 billion Plateau’s ecological fund.

   

  

  Former Plateau State Govrnor Joshua Dariye

  
  
  
  

  Justice Adebukola Banjoko of FCT High Court, Gudu, on Wednesday adjourned till March 2, the N1.162 billion fraud suit filed against former Plateau governor, Chief Joshua Dariye by the EFCC.
  
  Dariye is facing a 21-count charge bordering on breach of trust and diversion of N1.162 billion Plateau’s ecological fund.
  
  The adjournment would provide the defendant time to enable him study a response to two motions he earlier filed.
  
  The motion by the EFCC was served on him Feb.13. The first motion filed by the defendant on Dec. 6, 2016, was for the prosecution to recall two of its witnesses which included PW1 and PW9, for the purpose of re-examination.
  
  The prosecution witness (PW1) was the EFCC Investigation Police Officer (IPO), Mr Musa Sunday; the PW9 was the witness, from the United Kingdom, Mr Peter Clark.
  
  The second motion, which was filed on Dec.13, 2016, was seeking for the trial judge, Adebukola Banjoko to disqualify herself from further proceedings. The motion also sought for the case to be transferred to the Chief Judge of the FCT for re-assignment to another court.
  
  In the letter, addressed to the FCT Chief Judge, Dariye accused the judge of “manifest and undisguised bias," among other accusations.

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Senate President Saraki, Governors Put Magu Under Severe Pressure As Paris Club Refund Scandal

• Ibrahim Magu, the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has come under immense pressure from Senate President Bukola Saraki and several state governors who want him to deny that the commission is investigating them for pocketing billions of naira from the Paris Club loan refunds to the states, Sammynews4u has learnt.

Senator Bukola Saraki

Yesterday, we reported that the officials collected the money, which was approved by the Federal Government to reimburse the states for excessive charges to them for loans of international organizations, including the Paris Club.

The pressure on Mr. Magu, who is having a hard time getting the Senate to confirm him as substantive EFCC Chairman, manifested in a statement today denying our story headlined “Nigerian State Governors, Senate President Saraki Pocketed Billions of Naira from Paris Loan Refund.”

That Sammynews4u report gave a detailed account of how Mr. Saraki and the governors, using phony consultants hired by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, pocketed huge sums of money.  Mr. Saraki was paid N2.5million, while some governors collected as much as N400million each.

Sammynews4u learnt that a Nigerian businessman Hassan Dambaba, who is also the Magaji Ngari Sokoto embezzled as much as N2.5billion from the Paris/London Club refund

In the statement issued by the EFCC today, the commission denied that it indicted all the governors of the 36 states of the Federation and Mr. Saraki in the investigation of the reimbursement.

“The Commission wishes to state unequivocally, that no state governor or Senate President has been indicted so far by the investigation which is still at a preliminary stage,” the agency said.  “Also, insinuations about cover up by some officials of the Commission are untrue as there is no incentive to do so.”

SaharaReporters dismisses the claim by the EFCC that the investigations are still at the preliminary stage.  In any event, our initial report made no mention of an "indictment."

Contrary to the official claim by the EFCC, authoritative sources told Sammynews4u that N2.5billion has already been traced to Mr. Saraki, who has promised Mr. Magu accelerated confirmation as EFCC Chairman if he squelches the current scandal.

The Paris loan refunds were illegally routed through the account of the Nigeria Governors Forum by the Central Bank of Nigeria.  Upon receiving the funds, the NGF, through its chairman, Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari, began remitting huge sums to private consultants who then laundered it for the state governors.

The Governors claimed they were deducting monies spent on electing President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) into office.

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Former NIMASA Boss Re-Arraigned Over N20 Billion Fraud

• The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today re-arraigned a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, as well as three others before a Federal High Court in Lagos, southwest Nigeria over an alleged N19.7 billion fraud.

• The others accused persons are Major General Emmanuel Atewe, Kime Engonzu and Josephine Otuaga.

• The former NIMASA boss and his fellow accused now face trial on an amended 22 count charge of fraud and fraudulent conversion.

Ex-NIMASA DG, Patrick Akpobolokemi

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today re-arraigned a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, as well as three others before a Federal High Court in Lagos, southwest Nigeria over an alleged N19.7 billion fraud. The others accused persons are Major General Emmanuel Atewe, Kime Engonzu and Josephine Otuaga.

The former NIMASA boss and his fellow accused now face trial on an amended 22 count charge of fraud and fraudulent conversion.

Their re-arraignment came after the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice Saliu Saidu, from Lagos to the Port Harcourt Division of the Federal High Court in Rivers State.

The EFCC re-arraigned the accused before a new judge, Justice A.O Faji. The pleas of the accused were taken anew to enable their trial to commence before Justice Faji. All the accused pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

After the pleas, the lawyer for the accused, Joseph Nwobike, who leads a team of seven other lawyers, asked the court to allow his clients to continue on the earlier bail granted by Justice Saidu. Justice Faji granted the application. The new trial judge then adjourned the case till February 13 and 17 for the commencement of formal trial.

The EFCC had called one witness before Justice Saidu was transferred to Port Harcourt. The witness, Adamu Yusuf, detailed before the court how the accused persons converted the sum of approximately N4.9 billion into dollars by using different companies and accounts to launder billions of money from the account of the Joint Task Force operation.

Mr. Yusuf also testified that, during the investigation, letters of request were sent to GT Bank, Heritage Bank, Diamond Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank as well as First City Monument Bank (FCMB) demanding account statements for the beneficiaries of the accounts. Ex-NIMASA boss attacks female reporter
Troubled Former NIMASA Supremo, Akpobolokemi, Threatens To Kill Journalists Covering His Trial
Troubled Former NIMASA Supremo, Akpobolokemi, Threatens To Kill Journalists Covering His Trial
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In the charge sheet, the EFCC alleged that the accused conspired to defraud NIMASA of N8.5 billion using six companies. The companies were listed as Jagan Ltd, Jagan Trading Company Ltd, Jagan Global Services Ltd, Al-Nald Ltd, Paper Warehouse Ltd, Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd, and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd.

Prosecutors allege that the accused perpetrated the fraud between September 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015. They also state that the alleged offenses violated the provisions of Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and the provisions of Section 390 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C. 38, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

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EFCC Docks Banker For N52m Fraud

• The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, November 4, 2016 arraigned one Oluwatoyin Jinadu, a former banker with First City Monument Bank, FCMB, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja on a 20-count charge bordering on theft and forgery to the tune of N52million. 

Oluwatoyin Jinadu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, November 4, 2016 arraigned one Oluwatoyin Jinadu, a former banker with First City Monument Bank, FCMB, before Justice Sylvanus Oriji of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja on a 20-count charge bordering on theft and forgery to the tune of N52million.

As account officer to Dr. D. K. Okoye in the Wuse 2 Branch of the bank, the accused allegedly transferred N52million from Okoye’s account without his knowledge or consent, into accounts in Zenith Bank, GTBank, and Union Bank. These transfers were alleged to have been done through forged transfer instructions.

Jinadu was first arraigned before Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the FCT High Court on July 12, 2012, but the case had dragged following several frivolous applications and interlocutory appeals up to the Supreme Court, including a petition alleging bias against the presiding Judge – a situation that led to the withdrawal of the trial judge.

One of the counts reads:

“That you, Oluwatoyin Jinadu, on or about the 25th day of February 2010 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while working as a staff of First City Monument Bank stole the sum of Twenty Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty One Naira, thirteen kobo (N20,485,961.13) belonging to one Josephat Okoye and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Penal Code Act.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.

In view of her plea, counsel to EFCC, Samuel Ugwuegbulam, urged the court to fix a date for trial.

However, counsel for the defense, M. A. Awul, through an oral application urged the court to grant the accused bail relying on Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, and Section 36 (5) of the Nigerian Constitution.
According to him, “the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We urge your lordship to allow the defendant to continue on the existing bail granted him by your learned brother or in the alternative, grant her bail on such terms the court may consider appropriate to enable her to attend trial”.

Responding, Ugwuegbulam opposed the application stating that, “since the former presiding judge has declined jurisdiction on the matter, the bail has automatically elapsed. Also, my lord, punishment for the offense the defendant is being charged is enough incentive for her to jump bail”.

Justice Oriji, however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N8million with two sureties in like sum. The sureties must be residents in Abuja. One of the sureties must be a civil servant in the federal civil service not below GL12.
The case has been adjourned to December 5, 2016, and January 17 – 18 2017 for trial.

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Code Of Conduct Bureau Officials Leak EFCC Letter To Reps Under Probe For Budget Padding

• Some unnamed officials at Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) have been alerting members of the House of Representatives who played one role or another in budget planning that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wants their asset declaration forms. 

Yakubu Dogara

Some unnamed officials at Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) have been alerting members of the House of Representatives who played one role or another in budget planning that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wants their asset declaration forms.

Sammynews4u learned that the EFCC sent requests to the Code of Conduct Bureau requesting the asset declaration forms of more than 30 members of the House of Representatives involved in corruptly padding the 2015 national budget. The EFCC’s requests are a critical part of investigations by the anti-corruption agency into the role played by key members of the lower legislative body in the massive padding of last year’s national budget.

Two officials at the Code of Conduct Bureau told Sammynews4u anonymously that, instead of releasing the forms to the EFCC as prescribed by law and the bureau’s operational guidelines, some CCB staffers were calling up legislators who are targets of the EFCC requests to reveal what the EFCC was up to.

One of our two sources told Sammynews4u that some of the top CCB leaders were so corrupt that they sometimes help public officials who are under investigation for corruption to change their asset declaration forms. “Once some serving or retired politicians and other public officers are exposed or under pressure, the leadership of this bureau assists them to alter their asset declaration forms,” this source said. “This enables the said officials [to] wriggle out of trouble,” he added.

Our sources cited the case of the Nigerian Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Buratai, who reportedly received help from the CCB’s leadership to change his asset declaration forms. “He [General Buratai] got help from the bureau to mask his corruption,” one source said.

Sammynews4u learned that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was furious when he was informed that agents of the EFCC were asking for his and other legislators’ asset declaration forms. An EFCC source said Mr. Dogara was already making moves to prevail on the EFCC to back off from investigating the budget padding scandal.

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National Judicial Council Backtracks, Suspends 7 Senior Judges Accused Of Corruption

• The National Judicial Council, NJC, has suspended seven senior judges arrested in October by the State Security Service for alleged corruption. The NJC had initially refused to suspend the judges despite public pressure, saying the allegations against them had not been substantiated. It, however, said the judges had voluntarily stepped down from court sittings. The latest decision came after the council’s 7th meeting between Wednesday and Thursday.

The National Judicial Council, NJC, has suspended seven senior judges arrested in October by the State Security Service for alleged corruption.

The NJC had initially refused to suspend the judges despite public pressure, saying the allegations against them had not been substantiated.

It, however, said the judges had voluntarily stepped down from court sittings.

The latest decision came after the council’s 7th meeting between Wednesday and Thursday.

A communique issued at the end of the meeting, and signed by NJC’s Director of Information, Soji Oye, said the decision was taken to avoid allowing persons under investigation to partake in presiding over judicial matters at the same time.

“Council also decided that Judicial Officers shall not be standing trial for alleged corruption related offenses and be performing judicial functions at the same time,” the communique said. “Council, however, decided that it will ensure that Judicial Officers who are being investigated for alleged high-profile criminal offenses do not perform judicial functions until their cases are concluded.”

The judges were arrested on October 7.

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President Buhari’s New Son-In-Law Under EFCC Investigation For N3billion Fraud

Mr. Kumo is alleged to have diverted loans and funds from the bank to fund the construction of a mega hotel in Gombe and the purchase of choice properties in Abuja.

57-year old Yau Kumo, a former managing director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria who last weekend married Fatima Buhari, President Muhammad Buhari’s second daughter, is under investigation for fraud, operatives of the Economic and financial Crimes commission (EFCC) said on Tuesday.

Mr. Kumo is alleged to have diverted loans and funds from the bank to fund the construction of a mega hotel in Gombe and the purchase of choice properties in Abuja.

The wedding ceremony last week was low-key as the president reportedly did not invite guests to the wedding as was expected. He reportedly claimed that as it was Fatima’s second marriage, it was not a big deal.

EFCC operatives told SaharaReporters they are investigating several petitions against the president’ son-in-law. They did not specify when he might be taken in for interrogation.

Mr. Buhari has openly stated that should any of his relatives be involved in corrupt acts, he will not shield them. 

Also last week during his visit to Harvard University in the United States, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo stressed that in fulfillment of the law, the current government will not teleguide the anti-corruption agencies or interfere in their work. He was commenting on a question concerning when former president Goodluck Jonathan would be arrested, in view of the weight of corruption issues surrounding him and his officials.

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