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Tag: ICPC

  • Alleged 5.6bn fraud: Ex-Plateau Gov, Jonah Jang honours ICPC invitation

    Alleged 5.6bn fraud: Ex-Plateau Gov, Jonah Jang honours ICPC invitation

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says former Governor of Plateau, Sen. Jonah Jang, has honoured its invitation for questioning over an alleged N5.6 billion fraud.

    In a statement on its website, the commission said it had concluded interactions with the ex-governor, while investigation continues “on other strands of the matter’’. It did not give further details.

    Recall that the commission, on March 22, threatened to declare Jang wanted for allegedly spurning its invitation.

    The ICPC, through a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, said Jang had been evasive since October 2017, when it opened investigation into alleged corruption-related activities during his tenure.

    Jang reacted through a statement by his media aide, Mr Clinton Garuba, on March 23, that there had “never been a time the commission invited him”.

    Jang currently represents Plateau North in the Senate under the PDP.

  • Why House is probing Special Presidential Investigation Panel – Dogara

    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has explained why the House is investigating the Special Presidential Investigation Panel to ascertain where it got the powers to investigate public officers as it is not listed among the agencies listed to discharge that function in the constitution.

    Dogara said while speaking at a public hearing on the Legality and Modus Operandi of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel in the National Assembly on Thursday, that the probe became imperative because of the confusion of roles which has been identified by the Executive branch itself.

    He noted that the Constitution which is the supreme law governing affairs in Nigeria has vested the respective powers of investigation and eventual trial of public officers who are in breach of the Code of Conduct on the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Code of Conduct Tribunal, in addition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) which were established by two extant laws and copiously vested with powers and jurisdiction to investigate allegations of crime and to charge possible offenders to the Federal High Court.

    Speaker Dogara added that while it is undeniably the responsibility of the Judiciary to give final interpretation on the legality or otherwise of any question of law, it is also the constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly to make laws, or to plug defects in any existing law, or to amend any laws as it deems fit, especially to protect Nigerian citizens from the possibility of double jeopardy of facing different laws and different judicial and executive agencies on the same subject matter.

    He stated, “This investigation is further strengthened by the confusion of roles which has been identified by the Executive branch itself. It is public knowledge that the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had waded into these matters in a letter titled, ‘Re: Directive in Respect of Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel on the recovery of public property’, which has not been denied. According to Malami’s letter to Obono-Obla: “I have received a letter Ref. SH/OVP/DCOS/FMJ/0424 dated 20th October, 2017 in respect of the above subject from the Office of the Vice President. In the said letter, the Vice President expressed his concerns on the activities of the Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property which runs contrary to the enabling Act establishing it. He also noted that the activities of the Panel run foul or contrary to established administrative procedures and protocols in the Federal Civil Service Structure”.

    Hon Dogara continued, “The spirit, if not the letter, of Section 36(9) of the Constitution guaranteeing a right to fair hearing and outlawing double trial by Courts or Tribunal set up by law, should guide our attitude on this matter, especially now that the Supreme Court has decided that the Code of Conduct Tribunal has a quasi criminal jurisdiction.

    “While we recognise the need to tackle the problem of corruption with renewed vigour in our society, as we fully subscribe to the dictates of the Constitution which enjoins the State to ‘abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power’ Section 15(5), we must, however, be conscious of doing things and implementing our laws in such ways and manner that will portray us as a democratic society conscious of the Rule of Law and Fundamental human rights.”

     

  • Maimuna Aliyu’s trial: Court fines ICPC’s lawyer over failure to producinge witnesses

    An FCT High Court in Jabi yesterday berated the attitude of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the trial of a former Executive Director of Aso Savings and Loans, Maimuna Aliyu.

    Aliyu was arraigned by the ICPC on a three-counts charge with the first count accusing her of selling off three plots of land in Jahi District, Abuja, on behalf of the bank at the cost of N57 million without remitting same to the bank.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, the prosecution counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha told the court he was unable to bring any of the 11 listed witnesses to court and prayed the court for an adjournment.

    Ruling on the request for adjournment, the trial judge, Justice Mairo Nasir said the court was disappointed with the failure of the prosecution to bring any of its witnesses to court for the trial to begin in earnest.

    She therefore ordered Akponimisingha to personally pay the sum of N50,000 into the coffers of the government and produce evidence of payment on May 11, the next adjourned date.

    Maimuna Aliyu is the mother of Maryam Sanda who was accused by the police of killing her husband, Bilyamin Bello.

  • JAMB remitted N7.8bn to government in 2017 – Registrar

    The Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, says about N7.8 billion was remitted to the Federal Government as revenue by the board in 2017.

    Speaking at the JAMB office in Bwari, FCT, he said government never expected such huge remittance because the revenue target of the board for 2017 was N500 million.

    Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, spokesperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to her, Oloyede spoke at the inauguration of the Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of JAMB by the ICPC.

    “A top government official had emphasised that JAMB must remit nothing less than N500 million to the government.

    “The JAMB officer with me in that meeting advised that I should say the agency would be able to return about N600 million.

    “But at the end of the day, we returned N7.8 billion,” Okoduwa quoted him as saying.

    The registrar noted that his actions were not meant to expose his predecessors, but rather driven by his anti-corruption reforms in the agency anchored on accountability and transparency in the management of public finances.

    He urged the ACTU members to use the platform enabled by ICPC to tackle corruption in JAMB.

    The JAMB boss stated that the many corruption matters he had been handling were beginning to have adverse effects on his other responsibilities.

    However, he assured the ACTU members of the strong support of the management, promising that he will not hesitate to spend his personal money to facilitate their work if the need arose.

    “I can assure you of our total support, just as it will not be good for you if corruption is traced to any of you.

    “Funding will not be a problem because you will have more than what government is giving you, since you will be relieving me burden of pursuing criminals,” Oloyede reportedly said.

    Earlier, acting Chairman of ICPC, Mr Abdullahi Bako, lauded the ongoing anti-corruption reforms of JAMB which recently uncovered massive fraud in some of its state offices.

    Bako, who was represented by Mr Justin Kuatsea of the Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Department (CMED) of the commission, noted that the achievements of JAMB in the anti-corruption fight were worthy of emulation by other government agencies.

    On her own part, the Chairman of ACTU in JAMB, Mrs Munirat Lawal, assured that the unit would deliver on its mandate by helping to reduce the incidence of corruption in the agency.

    She added that the unit had already begun work by sensitising staff against corruption and helping to close down some illegal centres for conduct of the Computer-Based Test.

     

  • CSNAC petitions ICPC, seeks prosecution of ex-IG of Police, Mike Okiro

    The Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has urged the Acting Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to review an investigative finding of the Commission on the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Mike Okiro.

    In a petition forwarded to the anti-graft Commission and signed by CSNAC’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, the network said it was calling for the review of a report with reference number ICPC/INV/GBP/HOD/362 and dated August 6, 2015.

    It also wants the prosecution of Mr. Okiro based on a petition sent to it by a whistleblower in the Police Service Commission, Aaron Kaase.

    The petitions reads, “On 6 August, 2015, during the time of your predecessor, the ICPC came out with findings based on a petition sent to it by a whistleblower in the Police Service Commission, Mr. Aaron Kaase, on the above underlined subject matter.

    “In the said report, the ICPC came out with findings of its detailed investigation which indicted Mr. Mike Okiro in all ramifications based on provisions of the ICPC Act, Procurement Act 2007 and other laws violated but curiously stated it found no criminal infraction on the person of Mr. Okiro.

    “It is in line with these findings which we find disturbing and suspect as an act of complicity by whatever authority involved at the time, that we humbly seek your review and prosecution of Mr. Okiro based on the Act establishing the ICPC as follows;

    “ICPC findings confirmed that the PSC budgeted and collected money for the training of 900 non-existent staff but trained only 391 being the actual number of staff, thereby deceiving the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) that provided the funds and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE) to obtain a fraudulent approval to expend the funds.

    “Kindly refer to Section 25(1) (a) & (b) of the ICPC Act which prohibits making statements which are false or intended to mislead public officers or officers of the Commission and provides a penalty upon conviction, a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand Naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both. We urge you to apply the provision of the ICPC Act against the above mentioned infraction on Mr. Okiro.”

    CSNAC noted further that, “The ICPC report ordered the PSC to return N133.4 million being a violation of Section 16 of the ICPC Act which provides thus: (16) “Any person who, being an officer charged with the receipt, custody, use or management of any part of the public revenue or property, knowingly furnishes any false statement or return in respect of any money or property received by him or entrusted in his care or any balance of money or property entrusted in his possession or under his control, is guilty of an offence, and shall on conviction be liable to (7) years imprisonment” we urge you to invoke provisions of this Act and prosecute Mr. Okiro accordingly.

    “We further urge you to confirm to us if the said money has been returned to the ICPC recovery account as directed.”

    While applauding the recent decision of the ICPC to prosecute the Director Admin and Finance of PSC, Emmanuel Ibe, based on the forensic findings that uncovered the payment of air returned tickets and taxi fare to designated staff to destinations without airport.

    CSNAC added that, “Commendable as this is, it is incomplete and unjustifiable if your Commission chooses to prosecute only Mr. Ibe and allow Mr. Okiro to walk a free man. Considering Mr. Ibe acted under the instruction of Mr. Okiro.”

     

  • EFCC, ICPC can’t fight corruption alone in Nigeria – Abdulsalami Abubakar

    A former military head of state, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar has called for the establishment of more anti-graft agencies in Nigeria insisting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) can’t tackle the monster of corruption alone.

    Abubakar, a retired general, said this in Abuja at a public presentation of the book titled, “We The People”, and the launch of People’s Grassroots Association for Corruption free Nigeria.

    According to a report on Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Abubakar was represented by a former senate president, Ken Nnamani.

    “The war against corruption cannot and should not be left for the government alone.

    “Nigeria needs more anti-corruption agencies, we need more of EFCC and the ICPC and the issue of corruption or war against corruption cannot be left for government alone. Corruption drains resources from the economy. Therefore there is the need to change the mind-set of Nigerians,” the former head of state said.

    Mr. Abdulsalami said the government should publish details of individuals who are found guilty of corruption as it would give others the opportunity to learn.

    “Those who are found guilty of corruption cases, I mean those who commit certain atrocities in Nigeria should be publicised for others to learn,” he said.

    The former leader called for a change in the mind-set of Nigerians.

    “Calling the attention of Nigerians from grassroots will help build a new democracy in Nigeria,” he said.

    Also at the event, a former minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili, said there is no society that functions well when it rewards corrupt practices.

    Ms. Ezekwesili said exposing corrupt Nigerians is not enough. She said dealing decisively and sanctioning them is more important.

    “Impunity is becoming a norm in the society. Nigerians should overturn the reign of impunity especially among our political class. The political decadence of this country has been costly to the greatness of this country that is why I am excited about the People’s grassroots association for corrupt free Nigeria,” Ms. Ezekwesili said.

    The author of the book and the founder of the People’s Grassroots Association for Corruption free Nigeria, Peter Nwagwu, said the book was written to deal with problems of corruption from the grassroots.

    Mr. Nwagwu said the association intends to offer solution to problems of bad followership.

    “Our mission is to clean-up Nigeria from grassroots and we call this cleaning from bottom up,” he said.

    Similarly, the Book Reviewer, Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gashua, Andrew Haruna, said the book recommends change of attitude and change of mind-set.

  • Pandemonium as man slumps, dies during presentation at ICPC event

    There was pandemonium in Abuja on Tuesday as a yet unidentified man slumped and died while presenting a paper at a programme organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC.

    According to a report by Premium Times, the man who was described as a representative of an invited organisation at the event, suddenly fell and died before arriving the hospital.

    ICPC’s spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with PREMIUM TIMES but declined giving the details about the dead man.

    Confirming the tragic event, spokesperson of ICPC, Rasheedat Okoduwa said: “Yes a man had slumped while presenting a paper at an event in our office today. We rushed him immediately to the hospital, but he was confirmed dead at the hospital.”

    Details later…

  • ICPC arrests Judge for allegedly demanding N200m bribe

    ICPC arrests Judge for allegedly demanding N200m bribe

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, ICPC has arrested a retired Appeal Court judge, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya, for allegedly demanding a N200m bribe in exchange for a favourable judgment in a National Assembly election case that was pending before the Imo State Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal.

    Also the commision has commenced a probe into the 24,325 government properties that were sold to government officials under the monetisation policy of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    Also, the anti-graft agency

    The ICPC said in a statement by its spokesperson, Mrs. Rasheedat Okoduwa, that many, who bought government properties, had yet to make full payment while some others were secretly renting the properties to private citizens.

    The anti-graft agency said most of the culprits were in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Federal Housing Authority.

    The statement read in part, “In recent times, the ICPC has been inundated with petitions from patriotic Nigerians, drawing the attention of the commission to allegations of widespread abuse of the policy by beneficiaries and some government workers.

    “The commission, while acting on the petitions, discovered through preliminary investigation that a number of civil servants in the OHCSF, who benefited from the policy had not paid for the houses since 2005. While some had completely defaulted, others owe the government a sizeable amount of the money.

    “The investigation further revealed that 32,305 houses were captured by the committee on the sale of government properties while 24,345 were eventually sold to beneficiaries.

    “However, civil servants in some government agencies, notably OHSCF and the Federal Housing Authority, have allegedly turned the policy into a shoddy business with the aim of defrauding the Federal Government.”

    The ICPC said it also found out that some public servants and government agencies were concealing government properties and collecting rent on same without the consent of the Federal Government. This, the agency noted, flouted the intent of the policy that primarily focuses on divesting government’s interest from providing housing for its employees.

    The commission said an employee of the OHSCF allocated some of the houses to undeserving beneficiaries who were not public servants at the time of the exercise and some of the properties had yet to be allocated.

    It added, “The investigation has so far yielded fruitful result with the recovery of N18, 031,000 from some civil servants and a host of companies including Montgomery & Campbell Ltd. and SICCONS, which has been paid into the coffers of the government.”

    The ICPC vowed that anyone found to have contravened the law would be prosecuted upon conclusion of the investigation.

    Meanwhile, the commission says it has arrested a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Mohammed Tsamiya, for allegedly demanding N200m bribe from one Mr. Nnamdi Orji, in exchange for a favourable judgment in a National Assembly election case that was pending before the Imo State Judicial Division of the Court of Appeal.

    The ICPC said the offence, which violates Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, was alleged to have been committed in 2015, when the retired Justice asked Orji, who was the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance for the Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, to give him N200m to enable him to influence the court’s decision in his favour.

    Orji had approached the Court of Appeal, Imo State Division, to seek redress in a case involving an alleged inflation of the result of election in the Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia State, which he had earlier lost to his opponent, Mr. Nkole Ndukwe, at the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal.

    The retired judge was alleged to have assured the appellant of getting a favourable judgment from the court upon the payment of the money.

    “Justice Tsamiya has since been granted bail by the commission upon the fulfilment of his bail conditions even as investigation continues,” the ICPC added.

  • ICPC arrests former Court of Appeal justice over alleged N200 million bribe

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested a retired Justice of the Court of Appeal, Mohammed Tsamiya, for allegedly demanding N200 million bribe.

    The spokesperson of the commission, Rasheedat Okoduwa, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

    Mr. Okoduwa alleged that the suspect demanded the bribe from one Nnamdi Orji in exchange for a favourable judgment in a National Assembly election case at the Imo division of the court.

    According to her, the offence which violates Section 10 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, was committed in 2015.

    “The retired Justice asked Orji, who was the candidate for All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, to give him N200 million to influence the court’s decision in his favour.

    “Orji had approached the court to seek redress in a case involving alleged inflation of the result of election in Arochukwu Local Government Area of Abia, which he had earlier lost to his opponent, Mr Nkole Ndukwe, at the National Assembly Election Tribunal.

    Mr. “Tsamiya was alleged to have convinced the appellant of getting a favourable judgment from the court upon the payment of the money,’’ she said.

    Mrs. Okoduwa said Mr. Tsamiya had since been granted bail by the commission after fulfilling the conditions, adding that investigation into the case continues.

  • How former bank chief, Maimuna Aliyu diverted N57m sales from bank property – ICPC

    *Court fixes Dec. 14 for arraignment
    Independent Corrupt and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC in a three count charge filed against a former Executive Director (Retail), Aso Savings and Loan Plc, Abuja and a dropped member of the Independent Corrupt and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC governing board, Maimuna Aliyu before an Abuja High Court explained how the defendant diverted about N57 million being sales from the property belonging to the bank.
    Though, the defendant was supposed to be arraigned yesterday but it was stalled due to her absence.
    Maimuna is the mother of Maryam Sanda, who allegedly murdered her husband, the son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
    ‎When the matter was called yesterday, Prosecuting Counsel, ‎Osuobeni Akponimisingha told the court that though the matter was for arraignment of the defendant but that the prosecution had some difficulties serving court processes on her.
    He added that she was eventually served through the IPO, who claimed that he (IPO) told her of the arraignment date.
    According to him, “since we did not procure hearing notice from the court to serve, we take responsibility of her absence in court”.
    He however prayed the court for a short adjournment to serve her with the hearing notice.
    Defence counsel, J.K Gadzama SAN informed the court that his client was not aware of the arraignment and hence, the reason for her absence.
    He added that, he was not present when the IPO served the defendant with the process.
    He undertook to bring the defendant to court at the next adjourned date.
    After hearing the parties, the trial judge, Justice. Nasiru adjourned till December 14.
    The Federal Government had slammed a three count charge on the defendant bothering on diversion of about N57 million belonging to Aso Savings and Loans for her personal use.
    The FG alleged that Maimuna Aliyu on the 7th of December, 2012 or thereabout in Abuja, being the Executive Director (Retail) of Aso Savings and Loan Plc, Abuja at the time, used her said position to confer corrupt advantage upon herself when she received the sum of about ‎360,000 dollars, the equivalent of N57 million at the time being the amount for the sale of Plots Nos 2432; and 2434 all in Cadastral Zone BO8, Jahi District, Abuja property of Aso Saving and Loans Plc: from one Banagana Bashir on behalf of Vincent Msheila and you failed to remit the said amount to Aso Savings and Loans Plc as required: and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
    She was also accused making a false statements to the operatives of ICPC, in the course of their official duties that Plots Nos 2432;2433 and 2437 all in Cadastral Zone, BO8, Jahi District, Abuja, properties of Aso Savings and Loans plc were sold to Bangana Bashir acting as agent to Vincent Msheila ‎of Subwang Global Integrated Limited, and that she handed over the sum of N57 million being the amount for the sale of the said plots at the time, to one Bilikisu Rimi (Company Secretary, Aso Savings and Loans Plc, Abuja), statement you knew to be false; and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 25(1)(a) and (b) of the ICPC Act, 2000.
    Maimuna Aliyu was also accused to have on 7th December, 2012 or thereabout in Abuja, being the Executive Director (Retail) of Aso Savings and Loan Plc, Abuja‎ at the time entrusted with the original copies of the offer letters in respect of Plots Nos 2432; and 2434 all in Cadastral Zone BO8, Jahi District, for the purposes of selling same on behalf of Aso Saving and Loans Plc, did commit criminal breach of trust when disposed of the said plots of land to Banagana Bashir acting as agent for Vincent Msheila of Subwang Global Integrated Limited and dishonestly misappropriated the total sum of N57 million at the time as she allegedly did not remit the said amount to Aso Savings and Loans Plc, as required; an offence contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Act Cap 532, Laws of the Northern Nigeria 1990.