TheNewsGuru

Tag: EFCC

  • EFCC returns N11.9m stolen by RCCG deacon

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has handed over two cheques totalling N11.9m to a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, in Rivers State.

    The amount was said to have been stolen by one Deacon Cyril Idakwoji.

    The South-South Zonal Head of the EFCC, Mr. Ishaq Salihu, explained on Wednesday that Idakwoji, a former employee of Access Bank, was the account officer of the church for the bank.

    He said the suspect diverted the church funds to private use instead of transferring them to the church’s bank account.

    Handing over the cheques to the pastor-in-charge of Province 4 of the RCCG, Salihu said, “He (suspect) forged the letterheads of the church’s region 5 and the signature of the pastor in charge of the region. He also forged the signature of the church’s accountant to execute his criminal schemes in the RCCG.”

    The stolen funds were paid back by the bank, which had sacked the suspect.

    Speaking after receiving the cheques from the anti-graft agency, the Pastor of Province 4 of the RCCG, Port Harcourt, Mr. Mark Barango, commended the EFCC for ensuring that the money was recovered.

    Expressing surprise that Idakwoji, who was a deacon in the RCCG, could be involved in fraud, Barango said, “He (suspect) was the account officer assigned by the bank to us. He was also a member of the church. EFCC is an agent of transformation. I thank the EFCC for helping us to recover the money.”

    Salihu also said the EFCC had earlier recovered N36m belonging to Jephthah International School, which was also stolen by Idakwoji.

    Idakwoji, according to the EFCC zonal head, was also the account officer to the school.

    Salihu said the stolen money was paid back in bonds by the bank to the private school through the EFCC.

    He noted that the bank had reported the employee to the EFCC immediately it discovered the fraud.

     

     

  • Maina reinstatement saga: Buhari is a clean man surrounded by cankerworms – Melaye

    Senator Dino Melaye has berated Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, over his alleged mastermind of the reinstatement of an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission-wanted man accused of corruption, Abdulrasheed Maina, into the federal civil service.

    Lamenting that Malami had “stained” his hands with his alleged involvement in Maina’s saga, Melaye regretted that a good leader as President Muhammadu Buhari, who meant well for his people was “surrounded by cankerworms and caterpillars”.

    Melaye, who represents Kogi West senatorial district at the Senate, stated this on Tuesday while contributing to a debate on Maina’s reinstatement at the floor of the Senate.

    Some documents have confirmed that Malami was largely responsible for the reinstatement of Maina, a former chairman of the presidential task force team on pension reforms accused of corruption and wanted by the EFCC.

    Contributing in a motion sponsored by Isah Misau, the Senator representing Bauchi Central, on the saga, Melaye accused Malami of abuse of office and demanded that Buhari separated the AGF’s office from that of the Minister of Justice.

    He said, “It is pathetic. I want to ask this question to the executive; should we continue in sin and ask grace to abound? Time after time, the AGF and minister of justice has abused this office. We are not talking about Maina.

    “We should talk about the integrity of the AGF and minister of justice. If the law officer has his hands stained then the entire nation is one a stained.

    “Mr President is a good man and he means well but he is surrounded by cankerworms and caterpillars. We should have the audacity to take strong decisions. Nigerians would understand why the office of AGF and minister of justice is separated. We must recommend to the president that the AGF has displayed gross incompetence for the office it is occupying.”

  • EFCC seals Maina’s properties in Kaduna

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday sealed some properties belonging to the recently sacked ex-chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr. Abdulrasheed Maina, in Kaduna State.

    Maina was accused of being involved in a N2bn fraud and on the wanted list of the EFCC for the alleged offence. He had since gone into hiding and the agency had launched a manhunt for him.

    The agency sealed two companies on Monday while six other properties were sealed as of the time of filing this report, according to the EFCC’s Kaduna Zonal Office spokesman, Ibrahim Kamiludeen.

    Kamiludeen told newsmen on the telephone that the properties include a two-storey shopping plaza located on 2C Ibrahim Taiwo road, and a one storey duplex at Katuru road all in the state capital.

    All the properties acquired by Maina were being identified by the anti-graft agency for possible forfeiture to the federal government.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Commission had earlier sealed Maina’s $2 million mansion in Abuja on Monday.

    The building at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi, was cordoned off by police officers providing cover to an EFCC operative who was marking the house in red.

  • EFCC intensifies search for wanted Maina

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intensified moves to arrest Abdulrasheed Maina declared wanted by the anti-graft agency since 2015.

    The Commission’s reinvigorated search to arrest the former Chairman of the Pension Reforms Task Team (PRTT) followed his re-emergence and posting to the Ministry of Interior as an acting director.

    Daily Trust learnt that the outrage that followed news-reports of his reinstatement and subsequent disengagement from the civil service on the orders of president Buhari spurred the anti- graft agency to action.

    The spokesman of the agency Wilson Uwujaren told Daily Trust that Maina had remained on the wanted list of the EFCC and must suffer all the implications that come with that.

  • EFCC seals Maina’s $2m mansion in Abuja

    Operatives of the Economic and Finance Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday stormed the $2 million mansion belonging to the sacked Director at the Ministry of Interior, Abdulrasheed Maina.

    The building at No. 10 Hamisu Musa Road, Jabi, was cordoned off this afternoon by police officers providing cover to an EFCC operative who was marking the house in red.

    According to a report by Premium Times, another of Mr. Maina’s houses located at No. 12, Road 11, Kado Estate is also billed for similar exercise. The whereabouts of Mr. Maina himself, are unknown.

    President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Maina’s sack and called for an investigation into how he was recalled into the civil service despite being on the wanted list of the EFCC.

  • EFCC says reabsorbed ex-pension team boss, Maina still on wanted list

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says a former Chairman of Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, is still on its wanted list for his alleged role in pensions biometric scam in the office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation to the tune of N2bn.

    This is despite reports that Maina had returned to Nigeria and had been reabsorbed into the civil service and promoted.

    When contacted, the spokesman for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed this in that Maina is still on the commission’s wanted person’s list.

    It was learnt that Maina had written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation accusing the EFCC of a witch-hunt.

    Maina, who was in 2010 directed by President Goodluck Jonathan to look into the corruption in the pension system, was himself later accused, in 2012, of conniving with others to perpetrate a pension fraud to the tune of N100bn.

    He was subsequently invited by the Senate but refused to honour all invitations. Instead, he sued the Senate and the police and went underground. The Civil Service Commission dismissed him for absconding from duty.

    The suspect was arraigned in absentia by the EFCC alongside a former Head of Service, Steven Oronsanye, before he was later declared wanted by the commission in 2015.

  • ‘Fight against corruption getting tougher,’ says EFCC boss, Magu

    The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu, has said that the fight against corruption is becoming tougher, urging all Nigerians, including children, to use every weapon at their disposal to fight it.

    Magu said this in Lagos on Friday during the sensitisation forum on the plan to launch “EFCC-Creative Youth Initiative Against Corruption (CYIAC) Corruption Busters”.

    He said the fight against corruption was not personal and therefore called on Nigerians, including those in Diaspora to join hands in the fight, stressing that the commission was already mobilising Nigerians outside the country for support.

    “The fight against corruption is becoming tougher. We cannot fight it alone. We want to mobilise everyone in the fight; the more people in the fight, the better. “I am determined in the fight against corruption.

    I urge other Nigerians not to get exhausted. Don’t expect anyone to thank you for fighting corruption. It is a thankless job.

    “Whatever weapons you have, use it against corruption. Use your strategic thinking; the fight must go on with or without me, it is not a personal thing. “The press have a lot to do in this fight. If they do more, the battle would be half solved,’’ Magu said.

    The Coordinator of CYIAC, Ms Foluke Michael, said the corruption busters would be launched on Dec. 9 to mark the UN International Anti-Corruption Day. Michael said that her platform was EFCC’s preventive project, stressing that the forum was a sensitisation programme targeted at the children, youths and women meeting global goals by 2030.

    She said that the CYIAC was launched in 2016 with the pilot scheme tagged; `My New Nigeria; Free from Corruption’, stressing that 2017 edition would kick-start with online campaign to sensitise children, youth and women.

    “The online campaign will be followed by the launch of CYIAC APP and nationwide registration portal on Nov. 1 for participants between ages 9 and 14 for category 1, and 15-25 years for category 2. “Participants will also be required to submit essays, short stories or creative ideas online based on the theme: `Imagine the World free from corruption’ between Nov. 1 and Dec. 15,’’ she said. Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Women Arise and Chairman, steering committee for Movement Against Corruption said both organisations had endorsed CYIAC as vehicle to reach out to children, youths and women.

    “The idea to involve young people in advocacy and fight against corruption is a movement in the right direction. “Corruption must be destroyed from the root in Nigeria if the sufferings of the masses will be alleviated,’’ she said.

  • Patience Jonathan stops EFCC’s move to seize Abuja property

    Former first lady Patience Jonathan yesterday temporarily stopped the Federal High Court in Abuja from hearing an ex parte application filed by the EFCC.

    The anti-graft agency is seeking an order of interim forfeiture of two properties traced to the wife of former president Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

    The former first lady’s lawyers, according to reports, filed a motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear the ex parte motion.

    They were reported to have filed the motion after getting wind of the fact that the EFCC’s ex parte motion was to be heard by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Thursday.

    Justice Dimgba then adjourned the hearing until November 11 after the back-and-forth arguments between EFCC’s and Jonathan’s legal teams.

  • Dasukigate: How N1.4bn meant for national prayer was diverted – EFCC witness

    Dasukigate: How N1.4bn meant for national prayer was diverted – EFCC witness

    An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Michael Adariku on Thursday told an Abuja High Court how N1.4 billion security vote from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) was diverted.

    Adariku, an officer of EFCC, made this known when he testified in the trial of Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Dasuki is standing trial on a 19-count charge bordering on alleged diversion of N13.6 billion since 2015.

    On trial along with Dasuki were Shuaibu Salisu, a former Director of Finance, Office of the National Security Adviser, and Aminu Baba-Kusa, a former NNPC Executive Director, and two others.

    Adariku, the first prosecution witness said that the diversion was made through a company owned by a former Director, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aminu Baba-Kusa.

    The company, Acacia Holdings LTD., was credited with the sum from the accounts of ONSA purportedly for a national prayer to be organised for Nigeria.

    The witness, led in evidence by EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), narrated how N650 million was transferred from ONSA’s Zenith Bank account to Acacia Holdings account with Ecobank for the purpose of the said prayer.

    He, however, said that from the response of Ecobank, N650 million was transferred to various individuals and companies contrary to the purpose it was disbursed for.

    Adariku further revealed that on April 20, 2015, N150 million was transferred to the account of Baba-Kusa, and that on April 22, another N70 million was transferred to one Jubril Abdullahi for purposes not stated.

    He said that on April 22, an account to account transfer of N50 million was forwarded to the account of Baba-Kusa between May 4 and May 6, 2015.

    The witness said that another transfer of N150 million was made to a company, Medical Plastics Ltd. found to be owned by Baba-Kusa and his wife, Hauwa, who own 1.8 million shares in the company.

    The witness further revealed how N200 million was transferred from ONSA’s account with Zenith bank to Acacia Holdings Ltd. account with the United Bank for Africa on Oct. 9, 2014.

    He added that another N600 million was transferred from ONSA’s account to Acacia on April 17, 2015.

    While in the process of giving vivid account of how the sums were transferred to various individuals and companies, counsel to Acacia Holdings, Dr Biodun Layonu (SAN) raised an objection.

    Layonu objected to the witness’ testimony on the ground that the documents relating to the transactions were not clear in the copies that the prosecution served them.

    He said that most of the figures being quoted by the witness had been blanked out in the document in his possession.

    The judge, Justice Husseini Baba-Yusuf, acknowledged the observation by the defence counsel for Acacia and directed that the prosecution should make clearer copies available to the defendants before the next adjourned date.

    He then adjourned the trial until Dec. 13 and Dec. 14 for continuation of trial.

     

     

    NAN

  • EFCC arrests Federal Pay Officer for alleged diversion of N1.8 million

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC said it arrested the Federal Pay Officer in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, for alleged diversion of N1.8 million.

    A statement issued by the spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, identified the suspect as John Shiftanure.

    Mr. Uwujaren said the suspect was picked up on Tuesday at the Federal Pay Office in Uyo after its operatives “stormed” the place.

    He accused the suspect of abuse of office and failure to remit the N1.8 million to the Akwa Ibom Board of Internal Revenue Service, BIRS.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed entries in the agency’s cashbook which showed evidence of payments made to the Federal Pay Office (FPO).

    “But the payments were not reflected in the bank’s reconciliation statement because they were not remitted to the appropriate bodies and banks/sub-treasury by the Federal Pay Officer, as stipulated in the financial regulations.

    “Others also being interrogated for their alleged involvement in the diversion of the said sum include the Deputy Pay Officer, Mrs Obot Lucy, and the cashier, Mrs Ekanem Imabong.”

    Mr. Uwujaren said the case would be charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.