THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday demanded the immediate prosecution of former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, over his alleged role in the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) N2.5 billion fraud.
The party also demanded the prosecution of the sacked Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, over alleged misappropriation of N919 million, as reported by a ministerial panel.
In a statement in Abuja by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said the duo “must not be left off the hook” because of their affinity with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency.
The party insisted that Mohammed should be prosecuted alongside the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Alhaji Modibbo Kawu.
Kawu is facing trial over an alleged N2.5 billion Digital Switchover deal, which was investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
Tag: fraud
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Alleged fraud: PDP seeks prosecution of Lai Mohammed, Usman Yusuf
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Digital fraud: EFCC wants bankers to report suspicious transactions
Ibrahim Magu, acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on bankers to be properly guided by the ethics of their profession, including the identification and reporting of suspicious transactions.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Magu raised the concern in Ibadan on Thursday while delivering his speech at the opening of the 12th annual retreat for Heads of Security of Banks and Other Financial Institutions.
He described as worrisome the surge in the digital currency-related crimes in the country, saying the Commission is inundated with petitions from victims.
Themed “Fighting Financial Crimes in a Digital Economy”, the two-day retreat was organized by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), with senior bank officials and heads of security agencies across the country in attendance.
In the speech delivered on his behalf by a senior official of the Commission, Hanafi Baba-Ahmed, the anti-corruption czar urged Nigerian bankers to always be guided by the ethics of their profession in the discharge of their duties, adding that the Commission, including other sister anti-graft agencies, will rely on their expertise to wage effective against the digital currency fraud epidemic.
He also commended the theme of the retreat which, according to him, will afford the participant the opportunity to appreciate the threats posed by the menace as well as discuss the security management strategies to tackle them.
“Let us discuss the importance of the digital revolution vis-à-vis the necessity of proper supervision over potential loopholes we are seeing. As professionals in the industry, I want to urge you to be properly guided by the ethics of your profession including the identification and reporting of suspicious transactions.
“I want to appeal to discussants to do in-depth reflections on the potential and inherent contradictory issues between innovative payment system, new technology, including crypto-currency, and the protection of same in our financial system and our country generally,” he said.
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One problem in fight against Internet fraud worries EFCC
Ibrahim Magu, Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday said criminals use SIM cards (phone lines) obtained illegally for specific time, for a particular fraud, and after which, discard them.
According to the EFCC Boss, “That is a problem because it gives room to commit a whole lot crimes”, adding that “that is why we are soliciting for your support in terms of regulations”.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Magu made the appeal through the Zonal Head of the Commission in the South-East, Usman Imam, while receiving the State Controller of NCC, Mrs. Emilia Nwokoro and her team who came on a courtesy call at the Independence Layout Zonal Office of the Commission.
He called for concerted efforts from stakeholders in the telecommunication sector especially from the NCC and other service providers in the fight against corruption.
“We thank you for coming here, you are one of our critical stakeholders, because we know that in every criminal activity be it 419 or any other form of scam, there is an element of telecommunication involved,” he said.
Noting the key role telephone lines plays in cyber crimes investigations and other forms of crimes, he emphasized on the imperative for the NCC to take the issue of SIM registration “very seriously”.
“We are willing to partner with organisations that add value to what we are doing. The gap between us has further been reduced because of your visit which will enable us now talk directly and exchange ideas.
“If we are able to tackle telecommunication challenges and frauds, many other frauds would be stopped. The system is that bad that there is no coordinated data management system in the country. But we have to start somewhere to get somewhere. You must do a lot in terms of enforcement,” he said.
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Alleged N9.7bn fraud: Court adjourns trial of former Chief of Air Staff
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of a Federal High Court, Abuja has adjourned the trial of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Umar Dikko to October 2, 3 and 4, 2019 following the introduction of a new defence counsel, Onyeachi Ikpeazu.
Dikko is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of N9.7 billion.
A prosecution witness, Hammadama Bello, an investigator with the EFCC had on March 28, 2019 testified as to how a case of alleged money laundering was built against him following the findings of the investigating team that probed properties traced to him.
Among other things, Bello had told the court that Dikko would have had to be Chief of Air Staff for 250 years to afford the properties linked to him, thus propping up the properties as proceeds of suspected illegal activities.
It was also alleged that he fraudulently withdrew N500 million from the Nigeria Air Force, NAF account to buy a four-bedroom duplex at Road 3B, Street 2, in Mabushi Ministers Hill, Abuja.
He was also alleged to have taken N250million from the NAF’s coffers to buy a property at No. 14, Audu Bako Way, GRA, Kano State in 2011.
The trial judge had fixed today, June 25, 2019 for the defence to cross-examine Bello, but Ikpeazu, who was appearing for the Dikko for the first time, pleaded with the court for some time.
“I am constrained to plead with my lord, and my learned counsel, to seek for an adjournment and to be obliged with the certified true copies of the court’s proceedings,” he said.
He further prayed the court to give him more time to go through the case file as he was just notified of the matter two days back after he came back from his mother-in-law’s burial.
“Usually, I don’t waste time in my cross-examination, and I don’t make unnecessary applications,” he added.
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Notorious Internet fraudster forfeits N230.6m, $80.59 to FG
A notorious Internet fraudster, one Dehinbo Oluwatobi Reuben has forfeited N230.6m, $80.59 the sums of N210, 287, 697.45, N5,320,373.40, N15,008,809.79 and $80.59 to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports Justice Saliu Sai’du of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos ordered the final forfeiture of the sums belonging to the notorious Internet fraudster on Tuesday.
Justice Sai’du had on May 16, 2019 ordered an interim forfeiture of the various sums of money following an ex-parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In granting the application, Justice Sai’du had ordered the applicant, the EFCC, to publish the interim forfeiture order in any national newspaper for the respondent, Reuben, or anyone who was interested in the sums of money to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the FG.
In compliance with the order of the court, the EFCC published the interim forfeiture order in a newspaper and subsequently filed a motion on notice dated June 19, 2019.
At today’s proceedings, the judge, upon hearing the applicant’s motion on notice, supporting affidavit and written address, ordered the final forfeiture of the various sums of money found by the Commission in the various accounts of the respondent domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank to the FG.
The respondent, a member of a syndicate of fraudsters who specialize in identity theft, wire fraud and mail fraud, had been arrested following intelligence report received by the EFCC.
Investigation revealed that the syndicate obtained the stolen Personal Identification Information of over 250,000 individuals in the US and used the details to file fraudulent Federal and State tax returns.
It was further revealed that the syndicate obtained monetary value on the fraudulent tax returns, using prepaid cards registered with the stolen information and third party bank accounts.
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Alleged certificate fraud: A’Court orders Buhari, APC, INEC to respond in five days
The Court of Appeal Abuja division on Monday ordered President Muhammadu Buhari to respond within five days to the appeal filed against his qualification for the 2019 presidential election.
The court also ordered the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to within five respond to all issues raised on the educational qualification of the president in the election.
Justice Datti Yayaya who issued the order, also directed that Buhari’s counsel, Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, to within the period file necessary processes in relation to the appeal.
The appeal was filed by Agu Kalu, Labaran Ismail and Hassy El-Kuris.
The decision of the appellate court was sequel to a motion on notice filed by counsel to the appellants, Mr Uchenna Ndubuisi.
Ndubuisi prayed the Court of Appeal in the motion to abridge within which Buhari, APC and INEC will join issues with the appellants on the certifcate suit.
Abubakar and Mr Temitayo Lasaki counsel for APC had urged the appellate court in their response to the motion to give them five days to enable them file their respondents’ brief of argument along with other processes so as to set the stage for hearing of the substantive appeal.
Kalu, Ismail and El-Kuris had approached the appellate court to nullify and set aside the Judgment of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court.
The lower court had declined to hear their suit instituted to challenge the educational qualification of President Buhari before the conduct of the 2019 general election.
The appellants in their appeal are asking the appellate court to reverse the judgment of Justice Ahmed Mohammed on the grounds that the processes filed by Buhari and used to strike out their suit were not competent.
While faulting the Judgment of the High Court, which was predicated on the grounds that the suit was statute barred, the appellants claimed that the Federal High Court erred in law and in its decison.
This they said was because they did not challenge the primary election that produced Buhari as candidate of the APC.
They therefore urged the Court of Appeal to assume jurisdiction over the suit and grant all the reliefs sought at the Federal High Court but which were refused.Among the reliefs were a declaration that Buhari submitted false information regarding his qualification and certifcate to INEC for the purpose of contesting election into the office of the President of Nigeria and that he should be disqualified.
They also prayed for an order of court directing INEC to remove Buhari’s name as a candidate of APC .
Also, an order restraining Buhari from parading himself as a candidate in the 2019 presidential election and also APC from recognizing Buhari as a candidate.
The Federal High Court had on May 2 declined to grant the request of the appellants on the grounds that the suit was not filed within the time allowed by law and therefore sustained the preliminary objection raised by Buhari at the hearing.
But not satisfied, the appellants are now asking the Court of Appeal to grant their reliefs because they are not challenging the primary election of APC as erroneously held by the lower court.
They said they are challenging the qualification of Buhari to stand for the presidential election without demonstrating his educational certificates as required by law.
July 8 was fixed for hearing of the appeal.
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N3.4b misappropriation: Emir Sanusi lied, says Kano agency
The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission has described the claim by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, that he was not the accounting officer of the Kano Emirate Council as a misrepresentation of facts.
This is contained in a preliminary report of the Commission on the investigation being carried out in respect of the alleged misappropriation of over N3.4 billion by the Kano Emirate Council between 2014 and 2017.
The report was signed by the commission’s Chairman, Mr Muhuyi Magaji, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Thursday.
The report, with reference number PCAC/GEN/6/VOL.I, dated June 11, 2019, was addressed to the Secretary to the State Government.
Part of the report reads: “In furtherance to the Commission’s earlier communication No. PCAC/GEN/6/V.I, dated 31st May, 2019, on the above subject matter and the unfolding events, the Commission deemed it necessary to make some clarifications as follows:-
“It is imperative to state categorically that, the Commission’s investigation is on alleged misappropriation and questionable expenditures but not on the funds left behind by the Late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, and we still maintain our stance.
“In the cause of investigation we undertook an analysis of the main Account belonging to Kano Emirate Council and domicile at First Bank with Account No. 2005888452 starting from the era of the Late Emir to enable the Commission have an idea of how the money is being managed.”
According to the report, there were 783 activities bordering on withdrawals, transfers and placements from Jan. 2, 2013, to June 6, 2014, during the time of the late Emir.
“As from 2nd January 2013 to 13th April, 2017, the opening balance is N432,338,412.98. Total credit made in the account during this period was N6,784,146,335.73 while the total debit during the period under review is N7,209,035,163.09.”
However, it added that, “the closing balance as at April, 2017, is N7,449,585.62″.
It further revealed that on Feb. 13, 2014, and Feb. 26, 2014, payments were made to Philko Ltd, the company said to have undertook the construction of Ado Bayero Royal City via Inter Bank transfers of the sum of N776,159,519.50.
“There were transfers of N388,079,759.75, N338,079,759.75 and N50,000,000.00 made on Feb. 13, 2014, and Feb. 26, 2014, respectively; making the total quoted figures for Philko Ltd.”
The report also alleged that during the period, fixed deposit placements were made to the tune of N581,884,729.54 (placement and rollovers) while net withdrawals on some engagements both cash and withdrawal stood at N1,056,533,728.31.
“In summary, the total withdrawal made from the Account under the Late Emir was N2,414,577,977.35, subtracting this amount from total debit on the account which is N7,209,035,163.09.
“It is evidently clear that the current Emir is responsible for the expenditures to the total sum of N4,794,457,185.74 from the Emirate Council Account domicile in First Bank Plc,” it said.
Similarly, it alleged that all the expenditures made by the Emirate Council were either based on the approval or instructions of Emir Sanusi.
The commission attached copy of a payment voucher in respect of one of the withdrawals to buttress its claim, which read “Being payment to the above named in respect of making special prayers for peace as directed by H.H. Emir of Kano respectively“.
“Therefore, any claim that the Emir is not the accounting officer of the Kano Emirate Council is a deception and a misrepresentation of facts.
“Specifically, the reason of our recommendation for the suspension apart from obstruction of investigation which formed the basis, investigation further reveals that Rufa’i Buhari (Senior Accountant) usually made cash withdrawals directly from the account and change it to Dollars on behalf of the Emir.
“Sometimes direct transfers from the account are made to a Bureau De Change belonging to one Jazuli Sani who was said to have died.
“The Commission still maintain the allegation on unappropriated, seemingly personal expenditures, making the total sum of questionable expenditures uncovered by this investigation to the tune of N3,432,090,797.94 only,” the report emphasised.
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Alleged N25bn fraud: Attorney-General takes over Sen. Goje’s case from EFCC
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) on Friday took over the case of alleged N25 billion fraud filed against Former Gombe State Governor Danjuma Goje from the EFCC.
The News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) reports in Jos that for almost eight years, the EFCC had been prosecuting the former governor until Friday.
The case, which is before Justice Babatunde Quadiri of Jos Federal High Court II, has even gone to the Jos Court of Appeal over the remaining two count charge out of 21 filed against him by EFCC.
The Appellate Court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of the appeal.
When the case up for an emergency hearing before Justice Quadiri, the EFCC Counsel,Mr Wahab Shittu, told Court that the agency was withdrawing from the case and handing it over the office of the Attorney-General for continuation.
“My Lord, this case was earlier adjourned for June 20 for continuation of hearing, but then we are here today on the latest development on the matter.
“We as EFCC counsels are withdrawing from the matter and handing it over to the office of the Attorney-General for continuation with the prosecution.
“As you can, in Court today is a State Counsel from the AG’F’s office to formally take over this case from us, “ Shittu declared.
Responding, Mr Paul Erokoro (SAN), did not object to the EFCC withdrawal and handing over of the case to the Attorney-General.
“My Lord we not objecting to the anti-graft withdrawal and handing over the prosecution to the AG’s office, “ Erokoro said.
Mr Pius Asika, Counsel from the office of the attorney general, however, announced his appearance for the case.
Asika then applied for an adjournment to enable him prepared for the case proper “having come into the matter today (Friday).
Justice Quadiri then adjourned to the case to June 21, 2019 for continuation of hearing.
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U.S. arrests nine Nigerians for alleged multi-million dollar fraud [Names attached]
Nine Nigerians have been arrested in the United States of America for defrauding businesses and individuals of more than $3.5 million.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey S. Berman, and Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) Special Agent-in-Charge of the Tampa, Florida, Field Office of U.S., James C. Spero, announced on Thursday that the suspects committed the fraud through business email compromises, a Russian oil scam, and a romance scam.
Named among the suspects are Oluwaseun Adelekan a.k.a. Sean Adelekan, Olalekan Daramola, Solomon Aburekhanlen, Gbenga Oyeneyin,Abiola Olajumoke, Temitope Omotayo, Bryan Eadie, Albert Lucas and Ademola Adebogun.
Each of the suspects faces a maximum potential sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “As alleged, these defendants deployed three different email schemes to defraud their victims.
“The common denominator in all three schemes was the defendants’ alleged fleecing of their victims through fictitious online identities.
“The schemes allegedly earned the defendants $3.5 million – and also arrests on federal felony charges.”
HSI Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Spero said: “A transnational criminal organisation allegedly conducting illicit domestic and international wire fraud has been dismantled thanks to the hard work of HSI Tampa and Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
“This case illustrates the unique investigative authority and international reach of HSI.”
As alleged in their indictment, from at least in or about July 2016, up to and including the present, the defendants participated in a scheme to defraud businesses and individuals through several categories of false and misleading representations, including but not limited to:
- Sending victims email messages that appeared to be, but were not, from legitimate business counterparties that included instructions to the victims to wire payment to those seemingly legitimate business counterparties into bank accounts that were actually under the control of, and/or maintained by, Adelekan, Daramola, Aburekhanlen, Oyeneyin, Olajumoke, Omotayo, Eadie, Lucas, and Adebogun (the “Business Email Compromise Scam”);
- Sending email messages and text messages to at least one victim offering an opportunity to invest in oil stored in Russian oil tank farms conditioned on that victim wiring upfront payments into bank accounts purportedly affiliated with the purported oil investment but actually opened by and under the control of Aburekhanlen, Olajumoke, and Oyeneyin (the “Russian Oil Scam”); and
- Sending email messages and text messages to at least one victim from an individual (or individuals) purporting to be a female with romantic intentions toward the victim requesting, further to establishing a romantic relationship, the wiring of payment into a bank account under the control of Omotayo (the “Romance Scam”).
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EFCC probes N8.7bn fraud in JAMB
…Shortlists 15 for trial
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched into a probe of the cash inflow and outflow of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) between 2010 and 2016.
The anti-graft agency wants to get to the root of an alleged N8.7billion fraud in the board.
Fifteen suspects have already been shortlisted for trial.
Among them are some zonal heads and state coordinators. One of the suspects facing trial is a female accountant, Philomena Chise, whose sensational claim that a snake swallowed N36million raked in from the sales of e-facility cards rocked the nation.
Chise later told EFCC operatives that the said N36milion was disbursed as an I-Owe-You advance to cash-strapped staff.
The N8.7billion alleged fraud is said to have predated the present JAMB management, led by Prof. Ishaq Oloyede.
A document detailing the alleged fraud says the large sum was revenue from sales of e-facility cards and change of course cards which ended in private pockets.
“The remittance of over N8billion by Oloyede to the Federal Government as revenue led to the Forensic Investigation of Financial Activities of JAMB between 2010 and 2016 by Faithpro Consulting Auditing Associate (Financial and Management Consultants),” it says.
“The forensic investigators came up with N8.7billion shortfall within the same period which the EFCC has been investigating. There are about 15 suspects who may face trial in the first batch.”
Some of the states where the fraud was detected include Benue, Nasarawa, Kano, Kogi, Plateau, Gombe, Yobe and Edo.
Some of the suspects under investigation, who may face trial include Chise and Sale Umar (Benue); Labaran Tanko (Nasarawa); Daniel Agbo (Kogi), Yakubu Jekada (Plateau), Patricia Ogunsola and Cyril Izireim Imoukhuede (Edo); Murtala Abdul (Gombe); Aliyu Yakubu (Kano) among others.
The report adds: “In Benue, out of the expected revenue of N124, 180,00 from e-facility cards, only N88,700,000 was remitted leaving a balance of N35.48million.
“The JAMB office in the state also received 10,210 change of course cards and instead of remitting N8, 025,000, about N7million was paid into the designated account. About N1,025,000 is missing till date.
“Although JAMB’s preliminary findings claimed that Chise confessed that a snake swallowed the N36m unremitted cash, she told the EFCC detectives that the shortfall was an I-Owe-You advance to cash-strapped staff that are yet to refund same.”
Employees in Yobe State claimed to have “lost sales records because of attacks on Damaturu by Boko Haram.”
The story is similar in Edo State “where N26,400,000 is missing. Out of the expected revenue from e-facility cards of about N123, 933,000, only N97,533,000 was paid into the relevant account.”
In Gombe, about N40, 004,000 sales revenue was realized but only N29, 073,000 was remitted leaving a balance of N10,269,000.”
“An officer in Kano, in his efforts to cover up for 20,000 unaccounted cards worth N20million, cut carbon papers in the form of e-facility cards and returned these cards as unused.”
The document revealed findings on Nasarawa State where an officer claimed to have lost over N24,037,000 cards in a road crash.
The document added: “Investigation revealed that Mr. Labaran Tanko was the JAMB State Coordinator of Lafia Office, Nasarawa State between 2011 and 2016.
“Investigation revealed that within the period of his tenure, Nasarawa State Office revealed a total of 24,882 e-facility cards out of which 24,037 were unsold while 845 were sold at the rate of N1,000 each. The expected revenue was N845,000 realized and remitted to JAMB.
“However he claimed that the remaining 23,147 cards got burnt in an accident he had along Lafia-Akwanga Expressway while 890 cards were missing.
“Meanwhile, contrary to his submission, forensic evidence obtained from the IT Unit of JAMB showed that the cards were sold and utilized by candidates within Nasarawa State and its environs.
“This forensic evidence showed the name, phone number and purpose for which the cards were used. The expected revenue from the claimed burnt/missing cards was N24,037,000. The revenue from the cards, which were actually sold and utilized based on forensic evidence, was never remitted to JAMB.
“Also investigation revealed that 2,000 CBT cards were supplied to Nasarawa State Office which were never sold. Rather, the State Coordinator claimed that the said 2,000 CBT cards were among the cards that got burnt in road accident along Lafia-Akwanga Expressway.
Contrary to the claim, investigation recovered forensic evidence which showed that the cards were actually not burnt but utilized by candidates within Nasarawa State and its environs. This forensic evidence further revealed the details of candidates hat used the cards, such as name, phone number and purpose for which the cards were used.
“Further investigation revealed that 4, 589 change of course cards were supplied to Nasarawa State Office of which they sold 1,426 at the rate of N2,500 each while 3, 163 cards were unused and same was remitted to JAMB. However, the State Coordinator claimed that the remaining 3,163 cards got burnt in the same road accident. Forensic evidence, however, proved otherwise.”