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Tag: Diezani

  • EFCC hands over Diezani’s forfeited property to Lagos for Isolation Centre

    EFCC hands over Diezani’s forfeited property to Lagos for Isolation Centre

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) has handed a property forfeited by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, to the Lagos Government for use as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients.

    The six flats of three-bedrooms and a boys’ quarter had been forfeited to the Federal Government, following an order of a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2017.

    Speaking during the handover ceremony on Friday, the Zonal Head of the EFCC in Lagos, Mohammed Rabo said the gesture is part of the agency’s support in curbing the spread of the virus.

    “This gesture is part of the Commission’s efforts in discharging its own social responsibility towards the fight against the spread of coronavirus.

    “The Commission is always committed and ready, alongside its mandate in fighting economic and financial crimes, to also render any essential service that may be required of it in the fight against the pandemic.

    “Therefore, the state should not hesitate to call on the commission anytime the need for such an essential service arises”, Mr. Labo said.

    The state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, commended the commission for the gesture, saying it is a welcome collaboration between the Federal Government and the state government.

    He said, “The handing over is part of the national reach-out to curtail the pandemic.

    “It is reassuring that you have been paying attention to what we have been doing, and part of the challenges we have been facing is getting isolation centres for the COVID-19 patients.

    “We will go round the facility to see what we can do to improve on it”.

    The Governor further assured the Commission that the property would be put to good use.

  • Ex-bank director claims ownership of forfeited N9.08bn ‘Diezani loot’

    A former bank director, Dauda Lawal, has asked the Court of Appeal in Lagos to order the Federal Government to return to him the N9.08 billion he forfeited to it on February 16, 2017.

    Mr Lawal told the court that the Federal High Court, Lagos which ordered the forfeiture of the money had no jurisdiction to do so.

    According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the N9.08 billion was part of the forfeited N23.4 billion and $5 million (about N34 billion in total) linked to former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that the sums were stolen by Mrs Alison-Madueke and several accomplices from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and stashed in three banks.

    Justice Muslim Hassan, on February 16, 2017, ordered the final forfeiture of the funds after no one showed up to make legitimate claims to the funds.

    The judge said he was satisfied with the EFCC’s argument that the monies were proceeds of illegal activity.

    Lawal is the sole applicant in the appeal, while the EFCC is the respondent.

    The applicant was represented by his counsel P.I.N Ikwueto SAN while Kufre Uduak represented the EFCC.

    When the matter came up for mention last Thursday, September 29, the court adjourned further proceedings, after informing both parties that a date for hearing will be communicated to them.

    In his notice of appeal in the suit marked CA/LA/PRE/RA/CU/394MI/2019, Lawal contended that the judge erred in law.

    He is seeking four reliefs, including an order to:

    “To set aside the judgment dated 16 February 2017 for being without jurisdiction and thereby a nullity. “An order setting aside the forfeiture of the sum of N9,080,000,000 which the respondent (EFCC) obtained from the appellant while the appellant was under the detention of the respondent (EFCC).

    “An order returning the sum of N9,080,000,000 to the appellant.”

    In his March 29 affidavit in support of his application, Lawal averred that the forfeited N9.08bn was not found in his possession as required by Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.

    According to him, the money was borrowed on his behalf by family/friends whilst he was in EFCC custody and given to the government.

    He further averred that his failure to appeal within time was due to his “apprehension that if he challenged the Judgment dated 16 February 20 whilst the investigation was ongoing, the appellant will be further detained by the EFCC.

    “The Appellant has now been charged along with others following the conclusion of the investigation by the EFCC.”

  • BREAKING: Court orders permanent forfeiture of Diezani’s jewellery, customised iPhone

    The former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke has lost the bid to retrieve her jewellery and a customised gold iPhone forfeited to the Federal Government.

    This happened as the Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the permanent forfeiture of the 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customised gold iPhone, valued at $40m, recovered from the former minister’s house in Abuja.

    In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Nicholas Nicholas Oweibo held that Diezani, through her lawyer, Awa Kalu (SAN), failed to show cause why the items should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had told the judge that the jewellery and iPhone were reasonably suspected to be acquired with fraud proceeds.

    The anti-graft agency said the items were beyond Diezani’s legitimate earnings.

  • InterPol: Magu expresses concern over UK’s 'slow action' on Diezani

    Mr Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has expressed concern over the slow pace of action from the United Kingdom (UK) on the corruption case, involving Diezani Alison-Madueke.
    Diezani, a former Minister of Petroleum, who is being prosecuted by the UK government on issues of corruption.
    EFCC spokesman, Mr Tony Orilade in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, quoted Magu to have said this when he received the team of International Criminal Police Organisation (InterPol) in his office.
    Magu regreted that the matter had dragged on in the UK for more than four years with no visible result and no end in sight.
    “There is the case of Diezani which has been going on for over four years and the amount involved is about 2.4 billion dollars and no kobo has been recovered from overseas.
    “Though, we have recovered some of the proceeds of the crime, we are still tracing others,” he said.
    Magu, however, noted that the commission’s relationship with InterPol had made it easier to place suspects on red notice.
    He disclosed that getting Diezani, Dan Etete, (former petroleum minister), Mohammed Adoke (former attorney general and minister of justice), all of whom are overseas and facing fraud cases in Nigeria, back to the country had been a problem.
    He, therefore, urged their new countries of residence to either prosecute them or hand them over to Nigeria “since they are Nigerians.”
    According to the statement, InterPol’s Coordinator on Anti-corruption, Mr Sebastian Bley, commended the efforts of the EFCC in the fight against corruption.
    “We are fostering our relationship with selected law enforcement agencies in Nigeria because we are doing a set of activities which have been fruitful.
    “One area we will need to be stronger is the area of case coordination support,” he said.

  • Court convicts INEC officials who received bribes from Diezani

    A Deputy Director of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Auwal Jibrin, has been sentenced to six years in jail for benefiting from the $115.010m largesse of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in the run-up to the 2015 presidential election.
    Justice Yusuf Birnin-Kudu of Jigawa State High Court sitting in Gumel, has sentenced Jibrin to jail alongside one Garba Ismaila who bagged seven years in jail.
    The two men were sentenced on Friday following their prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Kano zonal office.
    Acting EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said the two convicts received N45m out of the N250m disbursed in Jigawa State to influence the outcome of the 2015 elections.
    Jibrin and Ismaila had pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the six and seven counts against them respectively, thereby setting the stage for full trial during which the prosecution presented five witnesses and tendered 20 exhibits against them.
    Delivering judgment, Justice Birnin-Kudu held that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt “all the elements and facts of the case as contained in the charge and the testimonies of prosecution witnesses and exhibits tendered.”
    He added that the defence team failed to counter the evidence presented by the prosecution through its witnesses.
    The court thus found the first defendant guilty as charged on count two, while the second defendant was found guilty on counts one and three.
    The court, however, discharged them on counts four, five and six.
    The judge further ordered the final forfeiture of the recovered monies and property attached to the investigation with the exception of a three-bedroom flat attached at No. 1 Hadejia Road, Birnin Kudu , Jigawa State.

  • UK detectives arrive Nigeria for Diezani’s probe

    UK detectives arrive Nigeria for Diezani’s probe

    Detectives from the UK are currently in Nigeria to gather more evidence in the probe of Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum resources, who has been standing trial on allegations bordering money laundering.

    According to The Nation, the detectives, who met with officials the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have been in the country for a week in what appeared a final lap of the investigation.

    “It is a major case the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the UK has been collaborating with the EFCC to probe,” the newspaper quoted a source as saying.

    “A few weeks ago, EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, was also in London to compare notes with similar agencies on this case. You will recall that Magu in November 2018 made it clear that Nigeria was tired of waiting for the trial of Diezani by the UK.

    “But after the initial issues between EFCC and UK agencies, there were talks which revealed that those at the London end were making painstaking investigations.

    “After Magu’s visit to London, the investigation of Diezani assumed enhanced dimension because some grey areas were cleared.

    “The coming of the detectives from London was meant to fill some gaps, get additional evidence and crosscheck a few findings on their part.”

    The source added that the mutual assistance in criminal matters bill, 2019, signed into law recently by President Muhammadu Buhari, might help in confiscating Diezani’s assets at home and abroad.

    “The new law will certainly assist the EFCC and other security agencies in bringing some of these looters to justice,” the source said, adding that the law will hasten EFCC’s action on Diezani and suspicious assets traced to her.

    In November, the EFCC had started a process to extradite the former minister, and the following month, the international police issued an arrest warrant for her following a request by the federal government.

  • JUST IN: Judge who ordered Diezani’s arrest is dead

    A judge of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Justice Valentine Ashi, who ordered security agencies to arrest and produce the former Petroleum Resources Minister, Diezani Alison Madueke, within 72 hours, has died.

    According to reports, Justice Ashi, who sits in Apo, died on Thursday in an Abuja hospital from a yet- to- be disclosed ailment.

    Authorities of the FCT High Court also confirmed the development but assured a formal statement will be issued on Monday,with the authority of the Chief Judge, Justice Ishaq Bello.

    “Some members the late Justice Ashi’s family has visited the court’s management to inform the court about the unfortunate incident.

    “I can confirm that they said he died on Thursday in the course of an illness. But, the court will issue a formal statement on Monday, a senior official of the court said.

    On December 4, 2018, Justice Ashi, upon an ex-parte motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), ordered the agency, Nigerian Police Force (NPF), the Department of State Services (DSSS) and all other security agencies to arrest 72 hours.

    The EFCC said it investigated the former minister with a businessman and Chairman, Atlantic Energy Drilling Company, Jide Omokore in relation to a petition by a group, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), dated October 2, 2013, which contained allegations of money laundering and official corruption
    .
    EFCC added that its investigation showed that Diezani, as supervising minister of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, alegedly engaged in illicit and monumental fraudulent dealings in oil transactions, which she entered into on behalf of the Federal Government.

    Details shortly….

  • Extradition: EFCC submits Interpol, other documents on Diezani to AGF

    Extradition: EFCC submits Interpol, other documents on Diezani to AGF

    Documents for former Petroleum Resources Minister Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke’s extradition has been submitted to the Attorney-Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    Besides a comprehensive investigative report on the ex-minister, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the document included a Red Alert watch-list by the International Police Organization (INTERPOL), and court judgments on the forfeiture of some prime assets by Mrs. Alison-Madueke.

    According to a source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, the extradition process would soon begin.

    The source said: “ We are hastening up the process for the extradition of the ex-minister of Petroleum Resources from the United Kingdom. The EFCC has made the extradition a priority goal in 2019.

    “We have submitted documents to the AGF, including investigative report, court judgments on forfeiture of assets by Diezani and his assets, judicial decisions on some of his co-accused persons, and the INTERPOL alert on her.

    “She has finally forfeited some prized assets. The assets lost to the Federal Government by the ex-Minister include a multi-storey building in Banana Island Foreshore Estate in Ikoyi, Lagos; a real estate comprising six flats in Ikoyi and an estate of 21 mixed housing in Yaba, Lagos.

    “Many properties allegedly linked with Diezani have also been placed under interim forfeiture by the anti-graft commission

    “ All is set for her extradition from the United Kingdom. It is left to the AGF, who is constitutionally empowered to see the extradition process through.”

    The source added: “ We have fulfilled the conditions precedent to bring her back home for trial.

    ”The extradition of the ex-minister is on our priority list for the year. “

    “ This commission has also filed before the Apo Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory five charges of conspiracy and illegal act of accepting and giving gratifications against Alison-Madueke and a co-defendant, Mr. Jide Omokore, who is a former Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Company.”

    Justice Valentine Ashi on December 3, 2018, granted leave to the EFCC to arraign the two defendants.

    “ On December 4, the court granted an ex parte application by the EFCC and issued an arrest warrant against Alison-Madueke, to enable the police and other security agencies to arrest her within 72 hours.”

  • Why EFCC can’t arrest Diezani despite court order – Magu

    The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, on Wednesday explained why the commission was finding it difficult to arrest a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

    According to the EFCC boss, Diezani is being protected by foreign law enforcement agencies from arrest and trial in Nigeria.

    Magu said this during a media chat in Abuja on Wednesday.

    The EFCC boss was reacting to a question on whether the EFCC would arrest Diezani as ordered by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo.

    He said, “I need less than 72 hours to produce Diezani but how can I get her? She is being protected by other law enforcement agencies outside this country. This is our predicament. If she were here, I would have arrested her.”

    When asked to clarify his statement, he said, “The barrier is that other law enforcement agencies are involved in the matter. You know she is in the UK and we are making preparations to get her. We have already gone to court and this was part of the process of extradition; that is the court should declare that a warrant of arrest be issued against her and that we produce her within 72 hours.”

    Magu said had Diezani been in Nigeria, he would have arrested the former oil minister in less than an hour.

    The EFCC boss said all law enforcement agencies in the world had been informed of Diezani’s status as a person of interest in Nigeria.

    “Even when the Italians visited us recently, they were asking questions about her,” he said.

    Magu said about 60 per cent of looted funds were still in Nigeria, adding that the commission could only succeed through the cooperation of Nigerians.

    He further stated that about 80 per cent of stolen Nigerian wealth was still hanging.

    The EFCC boss added, “More than 80 per cent of the loot outside the country is still hanging. Ask them why it is so difficult to repatriate these funds when it has been established that this money came from Nigeria and you know that this person does not own this money.

    “There is no justification. It is not a small amount of money. We have over $300m hanging in the Jersey Island, a UK foreign territory.”

    Magu said the EFCC would work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that taxpayers’ money is not used for elections.

  • Court orders EFCC, DSS, police to arrest Diezani within 72 hours

    Court orders EFCC, DSS, police to arrest Diezani within 72 hours

    The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in Apo, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered the arrest of the immediate-past Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is currently under investigation for corruption allegations in the United Kingdom.

    EFCC’s acting spokesperson, Mr. Tony Orilade, said this in a statement on Tuesday.

    Ruling on an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Justice Valentine Ashi, gave the anti-graft agency, the Nigerian Police Force, and the Department of States Security Service and all other security agencies to arrest her within 72 hours.

    “The Inspector General of Police, the Chairman of the EFCC, the Attorney General, the Department of State Services, are hereby ordered in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria to apprehend and arrest the first defendant and produce her before this court for further directives within 72 hours”, the judge ordered.

    The same judge had on Monday, on the request by the EFCC, granted leave permitting the anti-graft agency to arraign her and one of her associates, Olajide Omokore, on five counts of corruption allegations.

    Both the order of arrest and the charges filed before the court are part of the moves to have the former minister extradited to Nigeria from the UK.

    EFCC’s Acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, had recently said the commission was planning to extradite the ex-minister to Nigeria following the commission’s dissatisfaction with ýthe handling of the case by the UK government.

    Earlier praying for Alison-Maduekwe’s arrest on Tuesday, EFCC’s lawyer, Msuur Denga, said the order of arrest was to enable the commission to apprehend and arraign her for the alleged financial crimes in Nigeria.

    The EFCC said it had investigated the former minister along with Omokore, a former Chairman, Atlantic Energy Drilling Company, following a petition dated October 2, 2013, from the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, bordering on money laundering and official corruption.

    EFCC added in a statement, “Investigations into the petition revealed that Madueke as supervising minister of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, was found to have engaged in illicit and monumental fraudulent dealings in oil transactions, which she entered into on behalf of the Federal Government.

    “Madueke and Omokore, are also alleged to have accepted and given gifts in properties located at Penthouse 22, Block B, Admiralty Estate, Ikoyi, and Penthouse 21, Building 5, Block C, Banana Island, Lagos. They are to be arraigned on February 25, 2019 on a five-count for the offences, which are contrary to Sections 26(1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”

    The EFCC had said Alison-Madueke left the country for the United Kingdom while investigations into the allegations against her were ongoing.