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Tag: fraud

  • Alleged 109.5bn fraud: Court adjourns trial of ex-AGF Idris until Oct 4

    Alleged 109.5bn fraud: Court adjourns trial of ex-AGF Idris until Oct 4

    An FCT High Court on Wednesday adjourned until Oct 4 trial of suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, and three others for alleged N109.5 billion fraud.

    Other defendants are Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

    The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) charged the defendants 14 counts of alleged misappropriation of N109.5 billion.

    Justice O. Adeyemi Ajayi fixed the date after listening to the submissions of all the counsel in the matter.

    The counsel to Idris, Chief Godwin Uche ,SAN, told the court that he and other defendants’ counsel had not been able to meet with their clients yet on the statements all of them made at the EFCC office.

    Ajayi granted their prayer and adjourned until Oct 4 for further hearing.

    Earlier, the judge revoked Usman’s the bail over his failure to arrive in court on time.

    His counsel Ibrahim Ishaku, SAN, though notified the court that his client was held up in a gridlock.

    The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs, SAN however, told the court the defendants sent someone to the EFCC asking for a plea bargain.

    The EFCC alleged that between February and December, 2021
    Idris accepted gratification from Akindele, a gratification to accelerate the payment of 13 per cent derivation to the nine oil producing Sates, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

    It also alleged that N84. 3 billion was converted from the federal government’s account by the former accountant general and second defendant between February and November 2021.

    The EFCC said the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 155 and 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

  • JUST IN: EFCC declares social media celebrity, Mompha wanted

    JUST IN: EFCC declares social media celebrity, Mompha wanted

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Ismaila Mustapha, the social media celebrity better known as Mompha, a wanted person.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mompha is facing trial for money laundering before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

    The anti-graft agency charged Mustapha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., on eight counts of N6 billion laundering.

    Justice Mojisola Dada had on June 22 issued a bench warrant for Mustapha’s arrest following his absence in court. On June 30, his absence in court stalled the money laundering trial and Justice Dada revoked his bail.

    The social media celebrity was equally absent in court on June 16.

    On June 10, EFCC accused Mompha of flouting the court’s order by travelling to Dubai with a new international passport.

    EFCC counsel, Mr Samuel Daji had told a sitting of the court that the commission was still in the process of re-arresting Mustapha.

    Dada adjourned the case until Sept. 21 for further report.

    The charges against Mustapha include conspiracy to launder money obtained through unlawful activities, and laundering of money obtained through unlawful activities.

    The other charges include retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, use of property derived from an unlawful act, possession of a document containing false pretences, and failure to disclose assets.

  • Searching for what is not missing – By Owei Lakemfa

    Searching for what is not missing – By Owei Lakemfa

    We live in a baffling world in which many leaders believe that their people can be led by the nose. They assume they are wise and that those they govern are stupid. This leads to all sorts of situational comedies, some with tragic consequences. A few definitions.

    A joke is when a ruling party in order to restructure, sacks all its members, directing them to re-register; making it the first party in history without a single member. A sick joke is when former members of the party admit the president as the first member.

    Hollywood is when the leader of a party who buys and allocates votes says he is the champion of free, fair and transparent elections. Nollywood is when such a leader gives continental lectures on how best to conduct free elections, protect the vote and uphold the mandate of the electorate.

    Comedy is when the president and commander-in-chief of a country with lots of ungoverned spaces and whose leadership is challenged by bandits, always assures all that he is on ‘top of the situation’. Tragi-comedy is when such a leader is giving lectures in the region on security and how best to secure a populace.

    Incapability is when the government of an oil-rich nation is incapable of refining petroleum products for domestic use. Gross incapability is when that government expends scare foreign exchange to import PMS but is incapable of distributing the product at the fuel stations for consumers.

    Deceit is when a politician promises to build at least one refinery yearly but in his eighth year, has not even turned the sod for one. Mass deceit is when this same politician having promised to reduce the price of a litre of PMS from 65 Eco to 40 Eco only if they vote for him, but ends up selling at thrice, four times the old price.

    Stupidity is when an import-dependent country with many ports open to the ocean, abandons all except a twin-port. Compound stupidity is when the roads leading to the twin-port is perpetually congested making movement virtually impossible.

    Joblessness is when the leader of a country roams the world for private reasons or jets out fortnightly like a tourist. Presidential joblessness is the president of a country writing to congratulate the newly appointed president of another country, and follows up with a three-day ‘state visit’ just ‘to assure the new president of the high assurances of his highest esteem’.

    Provocation is when an overfed leader, while picking his teeth, pretends to be unaware of the hunger gnawing the stomachs of the citizenry. Extreme provocation is when such a leader arranges bags of rice on racks presenting them as ‘rice pyramids’ and assuring the citizenry that the times of plenty are here.

    A nitwit is a leader who inherited a minimum wage whose value was three bags of rice and profusely congratulates himself for increasing the wage to the extent that it cannot buy a bag of rice. A challenged leadership is when such a leader believes he is worthy of the status of a messiah for increasing the national minimum wage.

    Fraud is when a political party makes a fake promise to bring the exchange rate of 200 Eco to the dollar, to a parity of 1E-$1. Serious fraud is when the government of such a ruling party, exchanges a dollar for over 700 Eco.

    Pretence is for a government to promise basic education for all children but end up swelling the number of children without access to education from 10.5 million to 18.5 million. A sin is to abandon schools built by the predecessor for homeless children and turn them back on the streets.

    Ineptitude is to rail against the mass kidnap of school children in a school under a preceding administration, but put no measures in place to prevent a repeat. Gross ineptitude is for thousands of other children in multiple schools to be continuously kidnapped under the new administration.

    Fakery is when a government vows to bring bandits to book but is ever making excuses. Serious fakery is when a notorious bandit and mass murderer declared wanted by the police, is turbaned as the spiritual leader of his ethnic group in the presence of government officials who make speeches praising him for promising to reduce banditry and mass killings.

    A lie is when a government for seven years vows to return internally-displaced-persons, IDPs, to their ancestral homes but builds more IDPs camps. A fat lie is when the same government allows the terrorists occupying those occupied lands to live peacefully in them, changing the names of the villages and towns, while assuring the IDPs of a quick return home.

    Deceit is when a presidency promises mass housing on a scale unheard of but, in reality, builds mass IDP camps. Mass deceit is when the same presidency announces to the world that the IDPs would soon be resettled in their old homes, but tells the victims that it is better they give up their ancestral lands rather than end up in graves.

    Lack of trust is when a president makes an electoral vow to build adequate medical infrastructure as to make foreign medical trips unnecessary, while he ends up being the leading foreign medical tourist in the country with the presidential aircraft parked at various times for weeks on end at a foreign airport accumulating fees. Delusion is when he thinks the people have forgotten his electoral vows.

    A tricky leader is one who vowed to reduce waste in governance by downsizing the presidential air fleet, but from 2016 to 2017 increases the cost of its maintenance by 19.6 per cent, and then by 98.7 per cent the following year, and in 2019, by 99.6 per cent. While reducing the cost in 2020, he increases the maintenance cost in 2021 by 243.6 per cent. Illusion is when such a leader convinces himself that he has successfully sold the people a dummy.

    Talk is cheap, more so for cheap governments on a rich diet of falsehood and creamy dessert of propaganda. They search for what is not missing just to give the lie that their noisy, endless motions are actual movements toward good governance and development.

    Proverbs are the lyrics of the wise and only the wise and knowledgeable can dance to its drums. But the uninitiated, unable to decode the songs may feel they are the target. This may not be correct. So before attack dogs are unleashed to howl and disturb our ear drums, I issue a caveat emptor that this piece is fictive realism and that the characters are imaginary; more like ghosts hovering around history. Therefore, any resemblance to any character living or dead is coincidental and should be ignored.

  • N109bn fraud: How suspended AGF, Ahmed Idris compromised TSA, GIFMIS, IPPIS for personal gains

    N109bn fraud: How suspended AGF, Ahmed Idris compromised TSA, GIFMIS, IPPIS for personal gains

    Fresh facts have emerged on how the suspended Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris compromised the Treasury Single Account (TSA), Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), Integrated Payroll and Personnel information system (IPPIS) and carted away billions of naira belonging to the government.

    Idris and his co-defendants: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman are standing trial in a N109 billion fraud before Justice A. O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, FCT, Maitama, Abuja.

    At the resumed trial of the case on Thursday, July 28, 2022, Chief Investigative Officer of the case and Prosecution Witness One (PW1), Chief Superintendent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), CSE Hayatu Sulaiman Ahmed, while being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, told the court that the investigations by the EFCC showed that, Idris while in office, compromised key units under his care like the TSA, GIFMIS and IPPIS that led to the loss of funds by the government.

    Idris allegedly used the funds in constructing properties like the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms, and Kano City Mall.

    “We had cause to invite several individuals who had transactions with the Gezawa Commodity and Exchange Limited and found one Baita Ibrahim Kura of B I Kura Ibrahim, a Bureau de Change (BDC) operator based in Kano. We invited him and cautioned him and he voluntarily wrote a statement, claiming he made several payments like N208 million into Gezawa Commodity Market with Jaiz bank”, he said.

    The witness further told the court that Ibrahim also admitted to have paid the sum of N866 million to one Architect Mustapha Mukhtar of Marsc Construction Limited for the construction of Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange limited.

    “My Lord, investigation showed that Ibrahim received United States dollars from the first defendant. We also found out that agitation from the nine oil-producing states, regarding derivation from the excess crude account, was tabled before the Federal Account Allocation Committee, FAAC and the committee came up with a figure of about $2.2 billion as what was due to the nine oil producing states, and this amount was to be deducted over a 60 months period on a quarterly basis”, he said.

    The witness further told the court that 11.5% of this figure amounting to N44.7 billion was put aside as payments to some public officials to facilitate payments to the oil-producing states.

    “After the determination of this committee, my lord, some companies, Akindele and Co, a company owned by the second defendant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele was presented under the guise of consultancy.

    “My Lord, until recently, the second defendant, Akindele was a staff in the office of the AGF, and Technical Assistant to the first defendant. Investigation revealed that N84.39 billion was paid into Akindele’s bank accounts. According to the witness, another transaction occurred on February 12, 2021, with N21 billion paid into his account.

    The witness further revealed that aside from the payment of money that was made on February 12, 2021, other payments were made on May 6, 2021, and between July 28, 2021, and November 5, 2021, amounting to N94.39 billion.

    Ahmed further told the court funds were shared with some groups, including the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), represented by one of its Commissioners, Peace Akomas, former Deputy Governor of Abia State, who allegedly collected N18.8 billion. He said the money was withdrawn by Akindele and converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas.

    “The second group is the AGF group and it got a total sum of N18.01 billion. The third group, the Commissioners of Finance in the nine oil producing states, received N21.4 billion. The money was withdrawn by Akindele, converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas on behalf of the group.

    “The fourth group is called the Yari group. This group received N17.15 billion. The entirety of the sum was transferred to the account of Fimex Professional Services on the instruction of the representative of this group: Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara state governor.

    “The remaining N8.9 billion naira was retained by the second defendant. Furthermore, N4.29 billion was converted to US dollars by Akindele as appreciation for the consultancy contract, and the balance of N4.6 billion was given to Akindele,” he said.

    Ahmed confirmed to the court that all his disclosures were confirmed by the defendants in writing, in their statements admitting to have collected all the monies.

    “Also, properties purchased with the funds by the first and third defendants were traced to various locations in Abuja, Kano, and Minna, Niger state,” the prosecution witness said.

    Earlier, Justice Ajayi admitted the defendants to bail on the terms earlier granted by the EFCC.

    One of the bail conditions is that the defendants should not leave the jurisdiction of the court without the court’s permission, and their passports deposited with the court’s registrar and in no circumstance should any of the defendants apply for an alternative passport, as doing so, will revoke the bail terms. They should also depose to an affidavit to adhere to the bail conditions.

    In the EFCC’s bail conditions, Idris was granted bail in the sum of N18 billion, and two sureties. One of the sureties should be a Permanent Secretary, and the other a Director in the Federal Civil Service with bond of N100,000,000 ( One Hundred Million Naira) each.

    Akindele was admitted to bail in the sum of N20 billion and two sureties who must be Directors in the Federal Civil Service and Usman was granted bail in the sum of N200 million and two Directors in like sum.

    The Judge thereafter adjourned the matter to August 10 and 11, 2022 for continuation of trial.

  • How spiritualists duped aspiring Reps member N24m for political ambition in Ekiti

    How spiritualists duped aspiring Reps member N24m for political ambition in Ekiti

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested two self-acclaimed spiritualists for allegedly conspiring to defraud an aspiring House of Representatives member in Ekiti State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the EFCC gave the names of the spiritualists as Alfa Abiodun Ibrahim and Wale Adifala but failed to provide the identity of the aspiring House of Representatives member.

    According to the anti-graft agency, Ibrahim and Adifala connived with one Ifawole Ajibola (aka Baba Kalifa), who is currently on the run, to defraud the aspiring House of Representatives member of the total sum of N24,071,000.

    The spiritualists claimed that the N24 million was to be used to secure spiritual help for the political ambition of the aspiring politician.

    They were arrested on July 7, 2022 in Ado-Ekiti by operatives of the Lagos Command of EFCC, following a petition against them, alleging that after collecting the said sum, the whole efforts came to a dead end.

    Under interrogation, Adifala, admitted to collecting the sums of money from their victim, including N2.9 million, which he claimed was used to buy black, brown and white cows, rams, lavender perfume, rings among other items, to carry out sacrifices at different times.

    “I also linked up on the matter with Ifawole Ajibola, and we continued with the sacrifices together, until we were arrested by EFCC,” he said.

    Ibrahim, who was the one who had prior contact with the victim, admitted to collecting money at different times.

    “Our own is just to pray and do the necessary sacrifices, which we did, and to leave the rest to God, however, along the line, the zoning for the Reps seat was taken away from Oye-Ekiti to Ikole-Ekiti,” he said.

    “They were arrested along with some of their instruments of trade. They will soon be arraigned in court,” the EFCC said in a statement.

  • Lies, fables and innuendos: In Response to Sahara Reporters Article on TETFUND – By Felix Ayanruoh Esq

    Lies, fables and innuendos: In Response to Sahara Reporters Article on TETFUND – By Felix Ayanruoh Esq

    By Felix Ayanruoh Esq

    Lies, fables and innuendos: In Response to Sahara Reporters Article – Re: Exclusive: Disquiet In Nigerian Education Agency, TETFUND Over Contracts Fraud, Procurement Racketeering, Others Under New Head, Sonny Echono

    The recent fairy tale story as told in a recent article by Sahara Reporters New York published on July 20, 2022, to say the least, is wicked, mischievous, specious, and filled with smoke and mirrors, innuendos and intellectual sleight of hand. The objective is to tarnish the image of a good and dedicated civil servant who has worked tirelessly and meritoriously to serve his country for decades.

    Let it be known that contrary to Sahara Reporters diatribe and blackmail by its unnamed and malicious sources, Mr. Echono is a testimonial of a dedicated and incorruptible public administrator that our dear nation deserves. He has not been investigated or questioned of his decades of service to our great nation.

    He inspires governance and administration of all shades of government to action. And while inspiration alone isn’t enough to get the job done, it is a necessary ingredient to begin the hard work. His unwillingness to cross the line into the dark side of public administration has touched a fundamental place in the hearts of many who are eager to work with him and believe that public service is not entirely cynical.

    Sahara Reporters’ suspicions sources oxymoronic reference of Mr. Echono’s service in the Ministry of Education and allegation of fraud in less than 4 months at TETFUND shows Its bias and unveiled who its sponsors are. However, it is imperative to state that Mr. Echono turned down an extension offered by the Federal Government as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, the supervisory Ministry of NECO referred to in the article.

    It is instructive to note that Sony Echono is a true and dedicated civil servant – an epitome of what a public administrator should be. He has traverse public service and propelled successes from the administration of the likes of Akinwumi Adesina the former Minister of Agriculture, Oby Ezekwesili (Madam Due Process) and former Minister of Education among others.

    Never allow the transitory evanescence demands of men to take precedence over eternal demand of the Almighty God.

  • N109bn fraud: EFCC takes ex-Accountant General, Idris to court July 22

    N109bn fraud: EFCC takes ex-Accountant General, Idris to court July 22

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Friday, July 22, 2022, arraign a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris before Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.

    He is to be docked alongside three others: Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited on a 14 count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9.

    Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, who made this known in a statement on Thursday, in Abuja, said the suspects will be arraigned on a 14-count charge of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109, 485,572,691.9.

    Count one of the charge reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris between February and December, 2021 at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, being a public servant by virtue of your position as the Accountant General of the Federation accepted from Olusegun Akindele, a gratification in the aggregate sum of N15,136,221,921.46 ( Fifteen Billion, One Hundred and Thirty Six Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty One Naira and Forty Six Kobo) which sum was converted to the United States Dollars by the said Olusegun Akindele and which sum did not form part of your lawful remuneration but as a motive for accelerating the payment of 13% derivation to the nine (9) oil producing States in the Federation, through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 155 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and punishable under the same section”.

    Count eight reads, “That you, Ahmed Idris while being the Accountant General of the Federation and Godfrey Olusegun Akindele while being the Technical Assistant to the Accountant General of the Federation between February and November, 2021, at Abuja in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, in such capacity, entrusted with certain property, to wit: N84,390,000,000(Eighty-Four Billion, Three Hundred and Ninety Million Naira) committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly received the said sum from the Federal Government of Nigeria through Godfrey Olusegun Akindele trading under the name and style of Olusegun Akindele & Co., and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 315 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990”.

    Recall that the former AGF was arrested on May 16, by the EFCC over alleged diversion and laundering of N109 billion. The EFCC said verified intelligence reports showed that Idris raked off the funds through bogus consultancies and other illegal activities using proxies, family members and close associates.

    The commission said the funds were laundered through real estate investments in Kano and Abuja. It said Idris was arrested after he failed to honour invitations by the commission to respond to issues connected to the alleged fraudulent acts.

  • Fake Army General bags 7 years imprisonment

    Fake Army General bags 7 years imprisonment

    Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has convicted and sentenced  one Bolarinwa Abiodun,  a fake Army General to seven  years in prison.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Abiodun was sentenced to 7 years in prison on a 13-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery of documents and possession of documents containing false pretence to the tune of N266,500,000.

    The offences are contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006; Section 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006, respectively.

    The defendant was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    He posed as a General in the Nigerian Army and made false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that the President , Muhammadu Buhari, had short-listed him and one other to be appointed as the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, and that he needed a short grant to “press and process the appointment.”

    Abiodun, who was arrested at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, was also accused of forging a letter of appointment as COAS purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim.

  • Alleged fraud: Okorocha begs court to travel abroad for treatment

    Alleged fraud: Okorocha begs court to travel abroad for treatment

    Sen. Rochas Okorocha has sought an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, granting him leave to travel to the United States (U.S.) for medical treatment.

    Okorocha, through his lawyer, Daniel Alumun, made this known on Thursday when the matter came up before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

    Alumun, however, informed the court, shortly when the case was called, that he was unable to serve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the complainant/respondent, with the motion.

    However, the EFCC counsel was not in court. Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter until July 6 for hearing of the motion.

    In a motion on notice marked: FHC /ABJ/CS/28/2022 dated June 22 and filed June 27 by Okey Amaechi, SAN, Okorocha sought for an order granting him leave to travel outside Nigeria for medical treatment; and return before Nov. 7, being the next adjourned date for his trial.

    The senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, also sought a consequential order for the release of his Nigerian international travel passport booklet, which was deposited with the court registrar in partial fulfillment of the conditions for bail granted to him.

    He further sought for “a consequential order that reliefs(1} and (2) above be communicated by the registrar of this honourable court to the Nigerian Immigration Service, to facilitate the passage of the applicant.

    “An order directing the 1st defendant/applicant to return his international passport to the registrar of the honourable court upon his return to Nigeria.”

    The lawmaker, who gave three grounds why the reliefs sought should be granted, said he was admitted to bail pending trial in charge number: FHC/ABJ/28/2022.

    He said he  has duly complied with all the terms of the bail including depositing his travel documents with the registrar of the court.

    He said prior to his arraignment, he “undergone medical surgery at the Ambulatory Surgery Centre, Texas, U.S. for distal femur fracture, which he sustained in an accident.”

    According to Okorocha, he has been on regular/scheduled care and treatment at the same Ambulatory Surgery Center, where he has been scheduled for further medical tests, observation and treatment on July 19, 2022 or immediately thereafter.

    He was alleged to have laundered the funds while serving as governor of Imo.

    Others arraigned are Anyim  Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited as 2nd to 7th defendants respectively.

  • Okorocha seeks court’s permission to travel for medical treatment

    Sen. Rochas Okorocha has sought an order of a Federal High Court, Abuja, granting him leave to travel to the United States (U.S.) for medical treatment.

    Okorocha, through his lawyer, Daniel Alumun, made this known on Thursday when the matter came up before Justice Inyang Ekwo.

    Alumun, however, informed the court, shortly when the case was called, that he was unable to serve the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the complainant/respondent, with the motion.

    Newsmen reports that the EFCC counsel was not in court.

    Justice Ekwo consequently adjourned the matter until July 6 for a hearing of the motion.

    In a motion on notice marked: FHC /ABJ/CS/28/2022 dated June 22 and filed June 27 by Okey Amaechi, SAN, Okorocha sought an order granting him leave to travel outside Nigeria for medical treatment; and return before Nov. 7, being the next adjourned date for his trial.

    The senator representing Imo West Senatorial District also sought a consequential order for the release of his Nigerian international travel passport booklet, which was deposited with the court registrar in partial fulfilment of the conditions for the bail granted to him.

    He further sought for “a consequential order that reliefs(1} and (2) above be communicated by the registrar of this honourable court to the Nigerian Immigration Service, to facilitate the passage of the applicant.

    “An order directing the 1st defendant/applicant to return his international passport to the registrar of the honourable court upon his return to Nigeria.”

    The lawmaker, who gave three grounds why the reliefs sought should be granted, said he was admitted to bail pending trial in charge number: FHC/ABJ/28/2022.

    He said he has duly complied with all the terms of the bail including depositing his travel documents with the registrar of the court.

    He said prior to his arraignment, he had “undergone medical surgery at the Ambulatory Surgery Centre, Texas, the U.S. for distal femur fracture, which he sustained in an accident.”

    According to Okorocha, he has been on regular/scheduled care and treatment at the same Ambulatory Surgery Center, where he has been scheduled for further medical tests, observation and treatment on July 19, 2022 or immediately thereafter.

    He was alleged to have laundered the funds while serving as governor of Imo.

    Others arraigned are Anyim  Chinenye, Naphtali International Limited, Perfect Finish Multi Projects Limited, Consolid Projects Consulting Limited, Pramif International Limited, and Legend World Concepts Limited as 2nd to 7th defendants respectively.