TheNewsGuru

Tag: EFCC

  • Recovered loots: Buhari, EFCC acting badly in comedy series – Fayose

    Recovered loots: Buhari, EFCC acting badly in comedy series – Fayose

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said Nigerians are tired of the several intrigues and controversies concerning the funds recently recovered by the Economic and Financial Commission, EFCC.

    Fayose also faulted claims by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) that the N13 billion cash discovered at Osborne Towers, Lagos, belongs to it, stating that the development has only succeeded in rubbishing the Federal Government’s anti-graft war.

    In a statement specially released on the recovered funds, Fayose said: “Yesterday, it was made public that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) claimed ownership of the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23, 218,000 seized on Wednesday by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from Osborne Towers, a luxury residential complex in Ikoyi, Lagos.

    “This, to my mind is one cover-up too many and this federal government seeming plot to protect the original owner of both the money and the apartment where it was found has further shown that the anti-corruption fight is political, selective and therefore a ruse.

    “Nigerians should recall that I have consistently maintained that the APC-led federal government was not fighting any corruption. Rather, the government is using the anti-corruption fight as a major political tool to cripple opposition and turn the country to a one party state.

    “Therefore, for once, the federal government should operate with the mind-set that Nigerians are no fools. They are capable of asking questions and they are already doing that.

    “Some of the questions being asked are: who is the owner of the apartment in which the money was found? does the apartment also belong to the NIA? if the apartment belong to the NIA, when was it bought and from whom,? if the apartment does not belong to the NIA, from whom and when was it rented?

    “How could a whistle-blower be aware of movement of money into one out of many apartments in a building without knowing the owner of the apartment? if truly the NIA was carrying out a “covert operation” as claimed, was President Muhammadu Buhari not briefed of the so-called “covert operation” when he took over power?

    “Was the National Security Adviser (NSA), whose office controls all intelligence agencies, including the EFCC and DSS not aware of the “covert operation”? was there any security presence at the vicinity of the apartment to suggest that it was being used as warehouse for over N13 billion cash belonging to the NIA?

    “Does NIA need an unprotected apartment to keep such huge sum of money purportedly meant for “covert operation”? how much was released for the so-called “covert operation”? how much has been spent and to who was account rendered up to date?

    “As for me, the script being acted on this discovered cash is a cover-up that will mar the EFCC and the federal government. It is a movie well scripted for some alawada (comedians) but acted so badly.

    “It is case of a dog that has been eating other people’s children to the admiration of its owner suddenly attacking the beloved son of the owner’s friend and they are now trying to cover-up the dog owner.

    “It is a major test of the integrity of the APC federal government’s so-called anti-corruption fight, and the earlier the proponents of the cover-up plot come back to their normal senses and tell Nigerians who owns the apartment in which the money was found, the better for them.

    “In the last few weeks, we have been served with dramas of recovery of funds by the EFCC.

    “N49 million in cash was said to have been found in Kaduna Airport and was promptly “arrested” by EFCC officials. But up till now, Nigerians have not been told the identities of those who brought the five sacks in which the cash was found into the airport despite the presence of CCTV cameras at the airport.

    “EFCC also fed Nigerians with tales of recovery of N448,850,000 (Four hundred and forty eight million, eight hundred and fifty thousand naira) cash from a shop at LEGICO Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. We were told that the shop had not been opened for two years and one wonders how the cash got into the shop.

    “Up till today, EFCC is yet to tell Nigerians the identity of the owner of the shop and Nigerians are asking whether or not the Legico Shopping Plaza, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos, is not owned by anyone and the owner of the Plaza won’t be able to identify his or her tenant.

    “As for this latest drama, which has boomeranged, even though we know that the APC-led federal government has the capacity to sweep it under the carpet like many others before it, Nigerians will have it on record that they are being ruled by a government of “the more you look, the less you see.”

     

  • Malabu Oil Deal: EFCC planning to raid, plant cash in my country home – Adoke

    Sequel to the on going controversies over the Malabu oil deal, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN), says the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is planning to raid his country home in Okenne, Kogi State, with the purpose of planting huge sums of money in order to Implicate him.

    Adoke, who served under former President Goodluck Jonathan, said this in a statement by his media aide, Victor Akhidenor.

    TheNewsGuru.com recalls that the EFCC had on Tuesday raided Adoke’s home in Kano as part of investigations into the $1.3bn Malabu scam.

    Adoke said having found nothing in his Kano home, the EFCC had become desperate to nail him at all cost.

    The statement reads in full: “We gathered that the swoop on the country home of the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice will happen any moment from now as part of EFCC’s sustained campaign to soil the good name of Mr. Adoke in the guise of seeking evidence to indict him.

    “We put Nigerians on notice that with the desperation shown by the EFCC, it is not unlikely that they may want to plant incriminating document or cash in the Okenne home of Adoke and claim that same were found in the premises. The world is watching.”

    “It would be recalled that earlier this week, the EFCC invaded Adoke’s residence in Kano State, breaking doors, upturning chairs and tables, and generally disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood.

    “They claimed they were looking for documents with which to substantiate their wild allegations of corruption against Mr. Adoke. They did not find anything incriminating as there was no such document.

    “That action alone has established one fact — the EFCC has no shred of evidence on which they had charged Mr. Adoke to court. It was after charging him that they started hunting around for evidence. Is this justice?”

    Adoke maintained that the $1.3bn Malabu deal was transparent, adding that it was done with the approval of former President Jonathan.

     

    “However, for whatever reasons, the EFCC appears to have a different opinion on the Malabu issue and has made the harassment of Mr. Adoke, his family and associates their pastime, without providing any proof of wrongdoing.

    “We wish to warn that Mr. Adoke would no longer take these harassments of his family and serial invasions of his homes lying low and will now seek all legal means to enforce his rights, including asking for damages.”

     

  • DasukiGate: EFCC searches Jonathan cousin’s office

    DasukiGate: EFCC searches Jonathan cousin’s office

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday searched the entire premises of a company belonging to Robert Azibaola, cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The company, Kakatar Construction and Engineering Limited is situated in Otakeme, Bayesla State.

    Azibaola, who is standing trial before a Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly receiving a shady $40m contract from the Office of the National Security Adviser under the leadership of Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

    The spokesman for the firm, Mr. Austin Ekeinde, in a statement on Thursday, lamented that some containers, machines and portions of the buildings were damaged during the raid.

    He said, “At about 3pm on April 13, 2017, EFCC operatives invaded Kakatar premises in Otakeme in Bayelsa State and vandalise containers, equipment and machines and damaged our buildings in the process.

    The EFCC had commenced investigating Azibaola last year sequel to a list sent to the commission by a committee set up by the Federal Government to probe contracts awarded by the ONSA from 2011 to 2015 which indicted more than 300 companies and prominent citizens, including serving and retired officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

    Azibaola allegedly diverted $40m public funds through Oneplus Holdings, a sister company of his other company, Kakatar Construction and Engineering Company Limited.

    The ex-President’s cousin had, however, said the contract was transparent, adding that the Federal Government still owed him $4m as the balance of the contract sum for successfully securing oil pipelines which saw Nigeria reap billions of dollars from increased oil production.

     

  • N11.66bn in Lagos apartment: I built building but sold all to different occupants – Mu’azu confesses

    N11.66bn in Lagos apartment: I built building but sold all to different occupants – Mu’azu confesses

    …Commends Buhari’s anti-corruption war

    Former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu, on Thursday admitted that the building where operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) found N11.66 billion was actually built by him.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Mu’azu had initially disowned the building, insisting that the only property he had in Lagos was on Walter Carrington Crescent in Victoria Island and not in Ikoyi as been speculated in the media.

    However, in a statement released on Thursday, the former Bauchi Governor insisted that he sold the apartments through established agents and does not know who current occupants.

    It reads: “My attention has been drawn to the news making the rounds that I own the building on No.16 Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. I want to state clearly that I built the said property and sold to prospective buyers of individual flats. I have been a property developer since 1983 and I have developed and sold several properties all over the world.

    “The property in question happens to be one of them. I acquired the land and jointly developed it using a bank loan I obtained about nine years ago. However, all the flats have been sold to prospective buyers in order to pay back the loan. I do not own or occupy any of the apartments.

    “I sold all the apartments through established estate agents as such I have no knowledge or interest in who purchases or rents any of the flats”.

    Mu’azu also commended the efforts of the federal government in fighting corruption.

    “I commend the efforts of the official of the EFCC and the government’s drive at fighting corruption and also the media in informing the public on illicit and corrupt proceeds.

    “My response is not intended to jeopardise or interfere with the ongoing investigation of the anti-graft and security agencies but to clear the misconception that the house in question belongs to me. I strongly believe that the efforts being made will surely unveil the real owner of such flat and the monies recovered,” he said.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the recovered cash to the Federal Government and asked the ‘owner’ to show up voluntarily.

  • Judge orders EFCC to retract statement on Dasuki’s aide, suspends trial

    Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja has insisted that the trial of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze, a former Aide to Colonel Sambo Dasuki and 7 others in alleged N1.5bn fraud would not be resumed until the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) retracts fully the misrepresentation of the court’s proceedings that the defendants are being tried on N36.8bn fraud.

    The EFCC also wrongly referred to the aide of Dasuki as a retired military officer while Nicholas Ashinze is currently a serving Army Colonel.

    The judge dismissed the oral claim by the counsel to EFCC, Mr Ofem Uket that the anti-graft agency had retracted the offending publication because the lawyer failed to produce any document or evidence before the court to ascertain its claim.

    Justice Kolawole had last adjourned date March 21, 2017, warned EFCC to stop media trial of Nigerians being put on prosecution for any offence and ordered that the alleged N36bn fraud contained in the EFCC Press Statement issued by one Mr. Wilson Uwujare must be retracted.

    The Judge also ordered the news media involved in the alleged offending publication to appear before it and show cause why they should not be disciplined for misrepresenting the court’s proceedings by dishing out falsehood to the general public through the EFCC press statement.

    When the matter was to resume Thursday, counsel to EFCC informed Justice Kolawole that his client had already retracted the offending press statement as contained in some national dailies of April 12, 2017 but however failed to present a copy of the retraction to the court as required by law.

    Uket therefore urged the court to resume the trial of the defendant on the ground that the court order issued against EFCC had fully been complied with.

    However, Mr. Ernest Nwoye, Counsel to Colonel Ashinze stood his ground that the EFCC had not in any ways obeyed and respected the court order on the ground that EFCC has not shown any evidence or placed any document before the court as a prove of compliance.

    The counsel argued that since the court order on the retraction was in writing and duly served on the EFCC, the anti-graft agency must show respect to the court by filing necessary papers and attaching necessary document to show the compliance to the order of the court.

    In the absence of any documentary evidence, Nwoye urged the court not to attach any seriousness to the oral evidence of the prosecution counsel.

    Counsels to other defendants in the matter including the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Paul Irokoro (SAN) aligned themselves with the submissions of Nwoye and urged Justice Kolawole to sustain the order for the retraction until the evidence of compliance with the order has been shown.

    In his ruling Justice Kolowale disagreed with the oral evidence of the EFCC Counsel, lamenting that the counsel as a minister in the temple of justice has not shown any seriousness or do enough to protect the integrity of the judiciary from being unjustly rubbished.

    The judge said that “No responsible judge will sit down and allow his court to be rubbished with falsehood as in the case of the EFCC that has been engaging in feeding the general public with falsehood

    “It is a fact that the defendants in criminal matter will be prejudiced when they are unjustly subjected to media trial through publication of falsehood and misrepresentation of the court’s proceeding.

    “Since the court cannot act in vain, it is hereby ordered that the EFCC must show compliance in the appropriate way with the retraction of the offending press statement it issued out in respect of the proceeding of this court.

    “It is hereby also ordered that the Deputy registrar, litigation must liase with Deputy Sheriff and ensured that the order of March 21, 2017 is served on the Editor-in-chief or the appropriate person in the Vanguard Newspaper to ensure that the Editor and his correspondent in Abuja responsible for the publication (of March 8, 201) to appear before this court on May 4, 2017 to show cause where they got their story on the N36.8bn fraud published.

    “Let it be understood that the press has the fourth Estate of the realm has the responsibility of holding all arms of government accountable to general public but the press has no business in misrepresenting the court so that the defendant in criminal matters would not be prejudiced and would not be found guilty though false media trial before the real court trial.”

    Justice Kolawole said that his order of March 21, shall be in force until it has been fully complied with.

    It would be recalled that based on lawyers’ complaints, the judge stopped the trial of Colonel Nicholas Ashinze and others in the alleged diversion of N1.5bn brought against them by the Federal Government.

    The action of the Judge followed a Press Statement issued by EFCC that Colonel Ashinze is being prosecuted on alleged N36bn fraud and which was widely reported on March 8, 2017 by some national dailies.

    Justice Kolawole held that deliberate misrepresentation of court proceeding as done by EFCC through its press release was in bad taste and would always prejudice the defendants because the public would be made to have different perception of the real trial in court.

     

  • Unbelievabe! EFCC invites Bovi

    Unbelievabe! EFCC invites Bovi

    Nigerian comedian and actor Bovi has been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

    In a tweet directed at the anti-graft agency to celebrate their birthday, Bovi wrote, “Happy birthday EFCC, Invite us for drinks. For once spend. Not every time, recover!”

    Responding to Bovi’s tweet, the EFCC official twitter handle wrote: “Come to the office BOVI, ask for H specter”.

    Recall that EFCC was established in 2003 by the Obasanjo administration in response to pressure from the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), which named Nigeria as one of 23 countries non-cooperative in the international community’s efforts to fight money laundering.

    No one knows If Bovi has honoured EFCC’S invitation, but the conversation has become a trending subject on social media

  • [Video] How EFCC found N11.66bn in Lagos house allegedly owned by ex-PDP chair, Muazu

    [Video] How EFCC found N11.66bn in Lagos house allegedly owned by ex-PDP chair, Muazu

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on yesterday raided a house in Ikoyi, Lagos recovering about $43m, N23m and £27,000 in cash.

    The total cash when converted using the current rate of the Central Bank of Nigeria amounts to N11,661,314,000.

    16 Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, a residential apartment where operatives of the EFCC, recovered a humongous amount of money reportedly belongs to a former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu.

    According to online news medium Sahara Reporters, Mu’azu who was also the governor of Bauchi State in Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, lived in the penthouse of the building anytime he was in Lagos.

    A source who spoke with the news outfit said the other residents of the house are former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, a former Managing Director at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue, and Godwin Obla, a senior lawyer and former prosecutor to EFCC.

     

    Sahara reporters alleges that $50m found in the Ikoyi building belongs to a Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue.

    Nnamdi-Ogbue, was laid off by the corporation alongside other three top Managing Directors over the ‘missing’ petrol scandal involving Capital Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited owned by businessman, Ifeanyi Ubah.

    In line with the whistleblower policy of the Federal Government, the whistleblower is expected to receive nothing less than N500m as a reward.

    A source at the EFCC said, “We received a tip-off from a whistleblower regarding the existence of a huge sum of cash in an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi. We were overwhelmed to see such a huge sum of money.

    In a swift reaction to Sahara Reporter’s claim, the former National Chairman of PDP, Mu’azu has disowned the apartment where operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) officers Wednesday discovered more than $50 million hidden behind false walls.

    Akin Oyegoke a “Media and ICT Personal Assistant” to Mu’azu denied that the former PDP chair owns the building.

    “Mr Muazu does not own any house in Ikoyi except his house at Walter Carrington street, Victoria Island Lagos,” Oyegoke said.

     

  • EFCC bows to court order, apologises to Dasuki’s aide over demeaning press statement

    EFCC bows to court order, apologises to Dasuki’s aide over demeaning press statement

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday bowed to an order of a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged falsehood and media trial engaged by the anti-graft agency against a military officer, Colonel Nicholas Ashinze.

    Ashinze was Military Assistant to former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

    Justice Kolawole had ordered the EFCC to apologize to Ashinze over a statement which “degraded” the officer as well as portrayed him as guilty in an alleged N36bn fraud.

    At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, EFCC begged the court and the defendant, Ashinze.

    EFCC claimed that “the error in figure was a mix-up in the body of the release as the headline reflected the correct information.

    “The reference to Ashinze as retired is regretted. We have since discovered that he is a serving Colonel in the Nigerian Army”.

    Counsel to Ashinze, Mr. Ernest Nwoye, had an hearing on March 21 protested the press statement issued by EFCC in which the defendant was reported to have been indicted by the court for diverting and misappropriating a whopping sum of N36billion.

    Apart from the alleged N36bn said to have been diverted and misappropriated, the EFCC statement also referred to serving Colonel Ashinze as a retired officer.

    The counsel who drew the attention of Justice Gabriel Kolawole to the offending EFCC press statement, tendered the statement and the newspaper publications at the court to establish bias and misrepresentation of the court proceeding of March 7, 2017 by the anti-graft agency.

    Nwoye told the Judge that Colonel Ashinze was never charged by EFCC for any offence on N36billion diversion and misappropriation and wondered where EFCC Media team, that was not present in the court, got its proceeding that the defendant had been indicted for the amount.

    The counsel urged the court to condemn Media Trial the defendant is being subjected to as such action if not checked, will lead to misrepresentation of facts by the general public.

    Nwoye also tendered newspaper publications that emanated from the EFCC press statement issued by Wilson Uwujaren, Head of Media and Publicity in the EFCC.

    Justice Kolawole who was taken aback by the EFCC’s press statement asked the EFCC counsel, Mr. Ofem Uket if he was aware of the press statement and if he ever issued any.

    The EFCC counsel denied ever granting press interview in respect of the trial but admitted receiving letter of complaint from Nwoye and that he consulted with EFCC and discovered that the Press Statement was actually released to the media.

    Uket, in his defence said that contrary to the charge of N3billion alleged transfer, evidence from witnesses have shown that about N5billion was involved.

    However, Justice Kolawole who was not impressed by the argument of the EFCC’s counsel told him that the proceeding would have to stop pending the time the EFCC would put its house in order by stopping to mislead the public on court proceedings.

    Justice Kolawole in a short ruling on the protest from Barrister Nwoye said that “It is unfair for EFCC as a complainant in this trial to resort to self-help by engaging the defendant in the media trial at the same time in the court trial.

    His words: “If you want to try the defendant in the media, you have to limit yourself to the media. You have to stop misleading the public in the fact of this trial.

    “Let me say it for the sake of emphasis that EFCC must stop the use of journalists to distort proceedings in my court. You cannot be engaging in two trial: one in the court and one in the media at the same time.

    “If you are not satisfied with my decision to stop this trial pending the time the EFCC retract this offending press statement of my court proceeding, then you can take your case to another court

    “This press statement by one Wilson Uwujaren who claimed to be from EFCC is scandalous and prejudice to fair trial of the defendant in this matter.

    “In order to prevent media and court trial at the same time with one misrepresenting the order, I have stopped this trial pending the time the EFCC retracts the offending press statement.

    “The trial of the defendant has nothing to do with N36billion diversion and misappropriation.

    “The retraction has to be done between now and April 13, 2017. And this EFCC witness is hereby ordered to step down from the witness box and come back on April 13, 2017

    “The court proper proceeding cannot materialise where records and facts of the case are being distorted by EFCC that is even the complainant in the matter.”

  • Again, EFCC intercepts €547,730, £21,090, N5.6m cash in Lagos

    Again, EFCC intercepts €547,730, £21,090, N5.6m cash in Lagos

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) again on Monday intercepted huge sums of money in various currencies totalling N250 million at the popular Balogun market in Lagos.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that this is coming barely three days after the Commission recovered N449 million at an abandoned bureau de change in Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed Monday’s incident in a statement, said the discovery followed a tip off from a whistle blower.

    The intercepted monies, according to him, include 547,730 Euros, 21,090 Pounds and N5,648,500 .

    He said the total haul was about N250 million at the prevailing exchange rate at the parallel market.

    “The interception followed information that about N250 million cash was being moved somewhere in the market for conversion into foreign currencies by unnamed persons.

    “Operatives responded timely, met the money in Bureau de Change (BDC) office, but a large chunk of it had been converted into Euro and Pounds sterling.

    “The BDC operators found in possession of the monies claimed they were acting on behalf of their boss who sent the money to them from one of the Northern states in Nigeria,” Uwujaren said.

    He said two persons apprehended in the course of the raid were assisting the Commission in its investigation.

     

  • EFCC recovers N449m in abandoned Lagos shop

    EFCC recovers N449m in abandoned Lagos shop

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered N449, 000, 860 hidden in an abandoned shop in Lagos.

    An official of the EFCC who was actively involved in the investigation revealed to journalits that the commission received a tip off from a whistleblower that a huge sum of money was hidden in a shop located in the Nigerian Air Force complex, Legico, Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.”

    The detective said that on getting to the shop, operatives were surprised to see such a volume of cash.

    He said investigation revealed that the shop belonged to a Bureau De change operator but the owner had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

    It was learnt that the chairman of the bureau De change association was immediately invited to the Ikoyi office of the commission.

    The chairman was said to have revealed to detectives that the shop had not been opened in over two years.

    The detective said, “We received information from a whistleblower regarding a huge sum of money stashed in an office in Nigerian Air Force complex at Legico bus stop.

    “We swiftly moved in but we were overwhelmed by the amount of cash that we saw. It took us several hours to count it but the total sum is N449, 000, 860.

    “We were told that the office belonged to a bureau de change operator but the owner never showed up so we invited the chairman of the BDC association.

    “The chairman said he didn’t know that there was such a huge amount of money kept in the shop. He said to the best of his knowledge, the shop had not been opened in two years.”

    It was learnt that based on the Federal Government’s whistleblower policy, the whistleblower is expected to receive not less than N20m as reward.

    Meanwhile, it was learnt that with this fresh recovery, the amount of raw cash the EFCC had recovered based on tips from whistleblowers exceeds N4bn while the amounts traced to private accounts remain unknown.

    The commission had in February recovered over $9m in cash from a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Andrew Yakubu, while over N40m was recovered at the Kaduna airport last month.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, had said actionable information given by whistleblowers to the office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation led to the recovery of the looted funds.

    He said the looted funds do not include the $9.2m cash allegedly owned by Yakubu.

    “The biggest amount of $136.7m was recovered from an account in a commercial bank, where the money was kept under an apparently fake account name.”

    “This was followed by N7bn and $15m from another person and N1bn from yet another,” he said.