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Tag: fraud

  • EFCC probes Matawalle over alleged N70bn fraud

    EFCC probes Matawalle over alleged N70bn fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it is probing  Gov. Bello Matawalle of Zamfara over alleged N70 billion fraud.

    The EFCC Chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, represented by the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr Osita Nwaja,  said this at news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

    This development came days after Matawalle accused the EFCC of bias in selecting who to investigate, leaving others as sacred cows.

    Matawalle had urged the EFCC to probe people working with President Muhammadu Buhari, including cabinet ministers.

    He accused the anti-graft office of being too timid to go after people loyal to the president.

    The EFCC boss, however, said that the claim of  the governor was just an attempt to cast aspersion on the integrity of the EFCC’s fight against corruption.

    He accused Matawalle of making farcical allegations of corruption in assets disposal and plea bargain procedure, among others.

    ” What is at play here is a pure case of corruption fighting back. Matawalle’s outburst is a product of paranoia, an uncomfortable exertion arising from the heat of EFCC’s lawful activities.

    ”But the real issue with Matawalle is that he is being investigated by the EFCC, over allegation of monumental corruption, award of phantom contracts and diversion of over N70 billion.

    ”The money which was sourced as loan from an old generation bank purportedly for the execution of projects across the local government areas of the state.

    ”It was allegedly diverted by the governor through proxies and contractors who received payment for contracts  that were not executed,” he said.

    Bawa said that the EFCC investigation had become the source of anxiety in Government House, Gusau, with the governor in mortal dread of his fate once he steps down as governor on May 29.

    He said the governor would have been in the EFCC custody but for the immunity clause.

    ” In Nigeria, state governors and their deputies enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution while in office, a reason the EFCC has yet to arrest Governor Matawalle.”

    Bawa said that the Commission’s investigations so far, revealed that more than 100 companies had received payments from the funds, with no evidence of service rendered to the state.

    ”Some of the contractors who had been invited and quizzed by the commission, made startling revelations on how they were allegedly compelled by the governor to return the funds received from the state coffers to him.

    ”This was done through his aides after converting the same to United States Dollars.

    ”They confirmed that they did not render any service to Zamafara state but were allegedly directed to convert the monies paid to them into United States Dollar.

    ” And, return to the State governor through some of his commissioners, notably the Commissioners in charge of Finance and Local Government Affairs, ” he said.

    According to the EFCC chairman, one of the contractors, a popular Abuja property developer, collected N6 billion on a N10 billion contract without rendering any service to Zamfara.

    ” Another contractor collected over N3 billion for a contract for the supply of medical equipment but the Commission traced a payment of N400million from his account to a Bureau de Change operator.

    ”The contractor confessed the payment was to procure the dollar equivalent allegedly for the state governor,” he said.

    Bawa further said as part of the extensive investigation of contracts awarded by the Matawalle administration, especially for phantom projects in the local government areas, the commission had recovered N300 million from a company, Fezel Nigeria Limited.

    He said that the funds were allegedly traced to the Zamafara Investment Company.

    According to him, it is intriguing that Matawalle would want to take on the role of a supervisor, who tells the EFCC whom to investigate. Is this a case of a “’thief’’ saying he must not be touched until other ‘’thieves’’ are caught?

    “Unfortunately, it is not within Matawalle’s remit to dictate to the EFCC whom to arrest, when and where. Suspects in the custody of the Commission cut across all sectors and social class.

    “The qualification to get a space in the Commission’s detention facility, is to commit a crime. It does not matter whether you are a priest , Imam, Governor or minister.

    “Currently, a former minister of power is in the custody of the EFCC over a N22 billion corruption allegation. That conveniently did not attract Matawalle’s attention,” he said.

  • Alleged N22bn fraud: EFCC arrests ex-Power Minister, Mamman

    Alleged N22bn fraud: EFCC arrests ex-Power Minister, Mamman

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman over alleged N22 billion fraud.

    Competent sources revealed that the former minister was arrested on Wednesday and detained at the EFCC headquarters, Abuja.

    The sources said  that the arrest was in connection with  the ongoing investigation by EFCC into alleged corruption in the execution of some power projects

    According to sources, the minister was alleged to have conspired with a member of staff of the ministry in charge of the accounts of the Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro Electric Power projects and diverted N22 billion.

    The two allegedly shared the money among themselves.

    ”The investigations have also uncovered properties in Nigeria and overseas linked to the suspects, while millions of naira and United States Dollars have been recovered,” said sources.

    Mamman, a native of Taraba, was appointed minister by President Muhammadu Buhari on Aug. 21, 2019, and was fired on Sept. 1, 2021.

  • EFCC arrests 14 internet fraud suspects in Port Harcourt

    EFCC arrests 14 internet fraud suspects in Port Harcourt

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 14 suspected internet fraudsters at Rumuekini axis of Port Harcourt

    The EFCC Spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren said in a statement on Saturday, said that they were arrested on Friday during a sting operation in Port Harcourt.

    ”The suspects are Okoro Ansalem, Gift Mylius, John Lucky, Sadiq Shaibu, Sadiq Fahid, Benjamin Nnaji, Bestman Daniel, Golden Emmanuel, Dike Collins, David Nnaji, Oscar Mathew, Ofe Goodness Okoro Gift and Isaac Abraham Jombo.

    ”They were arrested alongside three cars, Laptops, mobile and electronic devices.

    ”They will be charged to Court as soon as the investigation is concluded, ” he said.

  • 2.1bn fraud: Appeal Court upholds Maina’s conviction

    2.1bn fraud: Appeal Court upholds Maina’s conviction

    The Court of Appeal on Friday in Abuja upheld the judgment of Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court which sentenced Abdulrasheed Maina to eight years imprisonment.

    Maina, who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), was sentenced following his conviction for laundering pension funds to the tune of N2.1 billion.

    Delivering judgment on behalf of the three-member panel, Justice Elfreda Daudu-Williams held that an opportunity was given to Maina to defend himself which he failed to use.

    “There was no denial of fair hearing as opportunity was given to the appellant to defend himself by the lower court.

    “Given the foregoing, it behooves on the appellant to defend himself in the money laundering allegations.’’

    Justice Daudu-Williams said that there was not enough evidence in the defence given by Maina to prove that he did not commit the offence.

    ´The whole issue is resolved against the appellant and the appeal fails, this is the position of the court,’’ the judge said.

    Justice Abang had on Nov. 8, 2022 sentenced Maina. the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team (PRTT) to eight years in prison for money laundering.

    The sentence was to run concurrently beginning from Oct. 25, 2019, when he was arraigned.

    The judge also ordered that Maina’s company, Common Input Property and Investment Limited, which was charged alongside Maina be wound up and its assets forfeited to the Federal Government.

    Maina, not satisfied with the judgment of the trial court, approached the appellate court challenging the judgment.

    In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/256/2019, EFCC alleged that Maina used fictitious names to open and operate various bank accounts.

    The anti-graft agency also said that he recruited his relatives that were bankers to operate fake bank accounts through which illicit funds were channeled.

    The EFCC arraigned him on a12-count charge and alleged that sums of N300 million, N500 million and N1.5 billion were stolen from pensioners and deposited in the accounts

  • Juventus 15-point deduction over transfer dealings reversed, now third in Serie A

    Juventus 15-point deduction over transfer dealings reversed, now third in Serie A

    A panel has reversed Juventus’ 15-point deduction in the current Serie A season for inflating transfer values and lying to financial officials.

    The supreme sports court of the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) accepted Juventus’ appeal against their punishment on Thursday.

    The court has now ordered a new trial to take place at the sports court of the Italian football federation FIGC.

    The lifting of the points deduction means Juventus move up from seventh to third in the Serie A table, while champions AC Milan were knocked out of the Champions League places.

    The FIGC sports court decided to punish Juventus in January.

    According to the investigation, the financial violations saved the club some 90 million euros (98.64 million dollars) between 2018 and 2020 alone.

    In addition to the points deduction, former club bosses were also punished individually.

    Former president Andrea Agnelli was banned for two years from any activities in Italian football, while former vice-president Pavel Nedved was banned for eight months.

    Agnelli had his appeal rejected, while Nedved was successful in appealing against his ban.

    Current Tottenham director Fabio Paratici was hit with a 30-month suspension and also lost his appeal.

    Agnelli, Nedved and the rest of Juve’s board, resigned last November amid an investigation into alleged tax fraud.

  • EFCC re-arraigns former PDP chairman’s son for alleged oil subsidy fraud

    EFCC re-arraigns former PDP chairman’s son for alleged oil subsidy fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday re-arraigned Mamman Ali,  son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali, for alleged N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.

    Ali was re-arraigned alongside one Christian Taylor and a company, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

    The defendants were arraigned on an amended 49-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences,  obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and use of false documents.

    They,  however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

    Following their plea, EFCC counsel, Mr Samuel Atteh, prayed the court for a trial date to enable prosecution to call its witnesses and tender necessary documents to prove the case.

    Defence counsel, Mr Kolade Obafemi prayed the court to allow the defendants to continue on the bail earlier granted them.

    “We crave your lordship’s indulgence that the bail granted to the defendants be allowed to continue,” he said.

    The EFCC counsel, however, submitted that the most paramount for prosecution was defendants’ attendance in court to face trial.

    “Our interest is that the defendants attend trial; so, we leave the decision about bail to the discretion of this honourable court,” Atteh said.

    The defence counsel could not immediately present the defendants’ bail papers to the court.

    The judge consequently ordered that the defendants should be remanded at the EFCC custody pending presentation of the bail papers and a formal application for their bail.

    Dada adjourned the case until May 30 for trial.

    The defendants were initially arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

    However, Onigbanjo withdrew from the case on health grounds, prompting reassignment of the case to Dada.

    The EFCC, in one of the counts, alleged that the defendants, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain N750 million from the Federal Government by falsely representing subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. under the Petroleum Support Fund for importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd. of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ltd.

    The commission said that the defendants knew that the representation was false.

    According to the commission, the defendants committed the offences with one Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and one Olabisi Abdul-Afeez still at large,  on Nov. 9, 2011, in Ikeja.

    The alleged offences contravene Sections 1(3),  8 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006, and Sections 363 (3)(1) and 264 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

  • Alleged fraud: ICPC arraigns ex-JAMB Registrar, 4 children on 17-count

    Alleged fraud: ICPC arraigns ex-JAMB Registrar, 4 children on 17-count

    The Federal Government is to arraign Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), on seven-count charge bordering on money laundering at a Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Ojerinde is being arraigned alongside his four children; Mary Funmilola, Olumide Abiodun, Adedayo, and Oluwaseun Adeniyi, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

    Ojerinde and his companies are currently facing a money laundering charge to the tune of N5 billion before Justice Obiora Egwuatu.

    He was accused to have diverted public funds while he served as National Examinations Council and JAMB registrar.

    However, in this fresh charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/119/23, the ex-JAMB boss and his four children were included.

    Also joined in the charge are

    In the charge are all his companies which include: Doyin Ogbohi Petroleum Ltd, Cheng Marbles Ltd, Sapati International Schools Ltd, Trillium Learnings Centre Ltd, and Standout Institutes Ltd.

    Ojerinde and the ten defendants’ were yet to take a plea as at the time of filing the reports.

  • LOOT: Okorocha’s Ex-Commissioner, Anyanwu to spend three years in jail

    LOOT: Okorocha’s Ex-Commissioner, Anyanwu to spend three years in jail

    Former Imo Commissioner for transport, Laz Okoroafor Anyanwu, has been sentenced to three-year imprisonment.

    Anyanwu, who served during the administration of ex-Governor Rochas Okorocha, was sentenced after he was found guilty of the charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The judge, K. A Lewanya, while sentencing the ex-commissioner said that the jail term would serve concurrently.

    The judge said that the convict was found guilty of fraud, looting of public funds and stealing.

    He said that the former Commissioner was found guilty of diverting N180 million State funds into a private company account where he was a major shareholder, sole signatory and doubled as Commissioner for transport and the Chairman Interim committee of the Imo State Transport Company (ITC) which he said is against section 12 and 19 of the ICPC act 2020.

    The judge did that Anyanwu by that action had violated the public procurement act, abuse of office and using his office to gain undue advantage in his dealings during his tenure as the commissioner for transport and the Chairman Interim committee of the Imo state transport company ITC.

    The judge said the EFCC lawyer, Micheal Ani was able to proof beyond reasonable doubt that when Anyanwu was commissioner for transport between 2015 and 2019, he transferred the sum of N100 million from the ITC account to his private company named Oma oil industries Limited which is against section 12 and 19 of the ICPC act 2020 for a public servant.

    The judge also said that the ex-commissioner signed off another N80 million from government coffers directly to his private company account with the motive that he wanted to procure some vehicles for ITC without due process and recourse to the public procurement act.

    The Judge while sentencing him to prison ordered that the looted sum of N180 million found in his account be forfeited to the state transport company.

  • Fraudsters getting more creative – Bank customers warned

    Fraudsters getting more creative – Bank customers warned

    The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has warned bank customers and the public against displaying their bank details saying fraudsters were becoming more creative.

    The NDIC in its official website on Friday gave out four tips for bank customers to safeguard their accounts.

    The Corporation said that customers should ensure that their phones had password and they must not share their bank mobile application password to anyone.

    NDIC also warned bank customers to ensure that their token is secured and that no other parties have access to it.

    The Corporation also urged customers to ensure that their debit card numbers and Card Verification Value (CVV) were not exposed to people.

  • N3bn fraud: Court returns Gov. Yahaya Bello’s nephew to prison

    N3bn fraud: Court returns Gov. Yahaya Bello’s nephew to prison

    Ali Bello, a nephew of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, on Monday, was returned to prison by the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    Bello is facing trial over his alleged complicity in a N3 billion fraud and answering 18 counts which the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) preferred against him and three others.

    Some of the counts against them, read, “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adauda, Yakubu Adabenege, Iyada Sadat, and Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in June 2020 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court procured E-Traders International Limited to retain the aggregate sum of N3,081,804,654.00 which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a), 15(20)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.

    “That you, Ali Bello, Abba Adauda, and Rashida Bello (at large) sometime in November, 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court procured E-Traders International Limited to transfer the aggregate sum of $570,330 to account number no; 426-6644272 domiciled in TD Bank, United States of America, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful activity to with: criminal misappropriation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

    Other defendants in the case are Abba Adauda, Yakubu Siyaka Adabenege and Iyada Sadat.

    At the resumed proceedings on Monday, Ahmed Raji, SAN, told the court that the anti-graft agency served him with a counter-affidavit towards the close of work last Friday.

    N3bn fraud: Court returns Gov. Yahaya Bello's nephew to prison

    Though the EFCC, through its lawyer, Mr M.K. Hussein, confirmed the development, Justice Egwuatu noted that the process was not in the court’s file.

    It was discovered that the process was forwarded to another court.

    As a result, Justice Egwuatu deferred hearing of the bail applications and the EFCC’s counter-affidavit till Tuesday.

    He ordered that the defendants should be returned back to prison custody.

    Earlier, trial Justice Obiora Egwuatu, had on February 8, remanded the defendants in Kuje prison after they pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The defendants, through their lawyer, Mr Ahmed Raji, SAN, prayed the court to release them on bail pending the hearing and determination of the case against them contending that the charge contained bailable offenses.

    Opposing the bail application on the premise, the EFCC argued that the defendants posed a flight risk and requested a trial date as well as time to file a counter-affidavit in opposition to the defendant’s bail request.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the charge against the defendants bordered on conspiracy, fraud criminal misappropriation and money laundering to the tune of N3,081,804,654.00.