TheNewsGuru

Tag: ICPC

  • Certificate forgery: ICPC arraigns NSCDC official, Anthony Damisa

    Certificate forgery: ICPC arraigns NSCDC official, Anthony Damisa

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned, an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Niger State Command, Anthony Damisa over alleged forgery and making of false stateme.

    Damisa was docked before Honourable Justice M. E. Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 3 sitting in Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria?s capital.

    ICPC, in a Charge No: CR/348/2022 filed before the trial court, is alleging that the accused person used a forged Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree in Public Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) as well as a forged National Diploma Certificate in General Agriculture from the College of Agriculture, Yandev, Benue State to seek higher placement in the Corps.

    ICPC also informed the Court of how investigation activities revealed that the certificates presented by the defendant to his employer did not emanate from the claimed institutions.

    The Commission in a 4-count charge, is further accusing the defendant of making false statement to officers of ICPC while on their official duties.

    His allege offences are contrary to Section 366, and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 89, Laws of the FCT and Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    When the charges were read to him, the accused person entered a ?Not Guilty? plea, and his counsel Ibrahim Alhassan thereafter raised a bail application on behalf of his client which was not opposed by the prosecution counsel, Ebiye Oglafa.

    The accused person was then admitted to bail in the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) and a surety in like sum who must be a civil servant not below grade level 10. He was also ordered to deposit either his International Passport or Driver?s License as well as two passport photographs.

    The matter has been adjourned to the 4th of April 2023 for commencement of hearing.

  • New Naira notes worth N258m found hidden in Sterling Bank office

    New Naira notes worth N258m found hidden in Sterling Bank office

    New Naira notes worth N258 million have been found hidden in the head office of Sterling Bank in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) found the hidden Naira notes.

    In a statement, the ICPC disclosed that the N258 million worth of new banknotes were stashed in the vault of the head office of Sterling Bank.

    This discovery followed one of ICPC’s operations at ensuring that commercial banks and other interest groups do not flout the directive of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for the release of new Naira notes to the general public.

    “When the ICPC monitoring team visited the bank and discovered the stashed new Naira notes in the bank’s vault, it was informed that the cash was the remnant of what the CBN had given the bank for onward distribution to its branches.

    “The team however found out that only the sum of Five Million Naira (N5m) each was distributed to their various branches.

    “Both the Regional and Service managers were arrested and later granted administrative bail while investigation continues,” the statement reads.

    In a similar vein, the Commission has effected the arrest of the Head of Operations, Keystone Bank, Mararaba in Nasarawa State for frustrating its customers at getting the new Naira notes.

    The ICPC team, while on its routine operation, found out that the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) at the branch were not dispensing to its customers, while other bank customers were accessing only One Thousand Naira.

    It was only after the arrest was made and clarification received from CBN that the position of the officers of the Bank was not correct, that the ATMs started dispensing Five Thousand Naira to non-customers and Ten Thousand Naira to its customers.

    The team also arrested one Abdulkareem Shaibu, a Security Guard with Zenith Bank, 3rd Avenue Gwarimpa, as well as Ali Adam and Shafiu Umar.

    While Shaibu, the Security Guard was arrested for being in possession of five ATM cards which he was using to collect money for different unknown persons who were not within the Bank premises at that time, Adam and Umar were arrested in front of Zenith Bank, 1st Avenue Gwarimpa, for selling the new Naira notes.

    In another development, two officials of FCMB Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo have been taken into custody for assault of officers of ICPC and CBN Cash Swap Monitoring Team.

    Recall that it was reported last week that the said branch was caught twice for loading wrapped bank notes inside its ATMs.

    The team, on a follow up visit to ascertain the bank’s compliance level, was assaulted right inside the Branch Manager’s office by the bank officials who vehemently refused to allow ICPC carry out its lawful duty, and then held hostage for about two hours.

    By the time the reinforcement of Police and NSCDC officers arrived the scene of the incident, the masterminds of the assaults had gone into hiding, leading to the arrest of two bank officers who were also complicit.

  • EFCC grills actress in viral Naira notes spraying video

    EFCC grills actress in viral Naira notes spraying video

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said its operatives have commenced investigation of Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Omoseyin is an actress and cosmetologist, who was arrested for allegedly tampering with the redesigned Naira notes.

    According to the EFCC, the offcence runs contrary to Section 21 (5) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, 2007.

    Recall Omoseyin was arrested by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Fraud Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday.

    She was arrested along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, following an intelligence report, according to the EFCC.

    The 31-year-old was arrested after the video of her spraying and stepping on the newly redesigned Naira notes at a party surfaced online.

    In the viral video, she was also seen flaunting wads of the new Naira notes.

    The suspect was subsequently handed over to the EFCC on Thursday, February 2, 2023 for further investigations.

    Items recovered from her at the point of arrest include a Range Rover and iPhone mobile devices.

    “The suspect will be charged to court once investigations have been concluded,” the EFCC stated.

  • Entrepreneur arrested for selling new Naira notes via social media

    Entrepreneur arrested for selling new Naira notes via social media

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has arrested a “serial entrepreneur” for allegedly offering the redesigned Naira notes for sale via social media.

    Spokesperson for the commission, Mrs Azuka Ogugua disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday and stated that the female serial entrepreneur, who operates with the Twitter handle @SimisolaGold, was arrested as a result of intelligence received by ICPC’s operatives.

    Mrs Ogugua said the suspect allegedly seized the opportunity of the scarcity of the new naira notes to openly market the new notes.

    “It is believed she is in collusion with key elements in the financial services sector diverting the newly released notes away from banking halls and payment channels into a “ black market, ” she said.

    Ogugua added that the woman, a social media “serial entrepreneur” deals in skincare, sales of fuel, facilitation of foreign travels through visa acquisitions, and other businesses.

    According to her, the suspect is currently in ICPC detention and is helping the anti graft agency with its findings on the criminal trading of the naira and the attendant scarcity and negative economic outcomes being caused by the action.

    She further explained that the arrest was in furtherance of the collaboration between CBN, ICPC and EFCC in implementing the new cashless policy and Naira redesign.

  • Cash swap : Emefiele declares war on commercial banks, insists no more cash withdrawal across the counter except ATM

    Cash swap : Emefiele declares war on commercial banks, insists no more cash withdrawal across the counter except ATM

    … vows to sanction defaulters

    … EFCC, ICPC officials to accompany CBN examiners to inspect bank branches to assess compliance

    The Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mr Godwin Emefiele has declared war on commercial banks insisting that no banks should henceforth pay out old notes except through the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) or in bank branches all over the country

    This is just as he has requested officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission to accompany the Apex bank examiners to inspect bank branches nationwide to ensure compliance.

    He gave the instructions during the Bankers Committee meeting on Monday in Abuja.

    The CBN Governor warned: “No payment of new notes over the counter. Banks are only allowed to release new notes via ATMs

    Corporates that require cash should only be given the old N100 notes and below. Corporates must not be given the new notes”.

    According to him, EFCC/ICPC officials will accompany CBN examiners to inspect bank branches over the next two weeks to assess full compliance with CBN guidelines above.

    “Officials of branches that fail to comply or that release cash to Corporates and Politicians will face termination of their contracts and the respective banks will be sanctioned

    “No branch should allow an individual with multiple Debit cards to do multiple transactions on ATMs.

    “All new notes have tracking numbers to trace them back to State, Bank and Bank branches. So notes confiscated at parties and other locations can be traced back to the Bank and applicable branch

    Please note that no new notes for anyone over the counter in branches.”

    The CBN had on October 26, 2022 announced its plan to redesign the three banknotes – N200, N500 and N1000.

    President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently unveiled the redesigned notes on November 23, 2022 while the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele fixed January 31 deadline for the validity of the old notes.

    Following pressure for extension of the deadline, the CBN on Saturday announced the extension of the deadline for the validity of the old notes by 10 days.

    Even with the extension of the deadline by 10 days, Nigerians have been experiencing tough times in making withdrawal through the ATMs and the few that are dispensing are paying in old notes.

    The unavailability and scarcity of the new Naira notes have however paved the way for the Point of sale (POS) operators in hiking their service charge.

    The POS operators now charge N500 for the withdrawal of N5000 as against N100 hitherto charged for the withdrawal of same amount.

    An operator at Ajesa Street, (Close to Banex Plaza), Wuse II, who would not disclose his name, said the sudden increase in the service charge followed the scarcity of the new Naira notes.

    “It was difficult to access the new redesigned Naira notes”, he simply said.

    The scarcity of the new designed naira notes is causing huge problems as many shop owners in Abuja only accept new notes even as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a fresh statement on Saturday extending the January 31 deadline for old Naira notes by 10 days.

    Many Nigerians have been gnashing their teeth over the unavailability and scarcity of the new designed naira notes as the ATM regarded as their last hope of getting the new notes still dispense old notes.

  • ICPC re-arrest former JAMB registrar, Ojerinde at court premises

    ICPC re-arrest former JAMB registrar, Ojerinde at court premises

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), on Thursday, re-arrested Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, former Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    The operatives of ICPC made the arrest shortly after today’s hearing before Justice Obiora Egwuatu of a Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja where Ojerinde has been standing trial on an 18-count charge bordering on diversion of public funds to the tune of N5 billion.

    Ojerinde, who was being led out of the court by one of his sons to the carpark after Justice Egwuatu adjourned the trial until Feb. 15, was accosted by the anti-corruption commission’s operatives who whisked him away in their vehicle.

    However, it was gathered that the latest arrest cannot be unconnected to the fresh facts emerging from his ongoing trial and made by the 4th prosecution witness, Mr JImoh Olabisi, former Deputy Director of Finance of JAMB.

    A reliable source from the commission informed NAN that a warrant of arrest for his re-arrest was obtained from the FHC Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho.

    ICPC had, on July 8, 2021, arraigned the former JAMB registrar on an 18-count charge

    He was said to have committed the offence during his tenure as registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO) and JAMB.

    Ojerinde, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was later admitted to bail in the sum of N200 million.

  • Court strikes out Saraki’s suits against EFCC, ICPC, others

    Court strikes out Saraki’s suits against EFCC, ICPC, others

    A Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Wednesday, struck out two separate suits filed by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others.

    Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a short ruling, struck out the suits for lack of diligent prosecution.

    Upon resumed hearing in the matters, neither Saraki’s lawyer nor defendants’ counsel were in court for the proceeding.

    Justice Ekwo, therefore, held that he found that the cases were not diligently prosecuted.

    He consequently struck them out for lack of diligent prosecution.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Saraki, the applicant, had filed the suits marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/507/2019 and FHC/ABJ/CS/508/2019 at the FHC.

    In the suits, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Inspector-General of Police and State Security Service (SSS) are 1st to 3rd defendants respectively.

    Others are EFCC, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as 4th to 6th respondents respectively.

    The ex-senate president had filed the suits following the EFCC’s decision in 2019 to probe Saraki’s earnings between 2003 and 2011 when he was governor of Kwara.

    The anti-graft commission was reported to have seized some of his houses in the Ikoyi area of Lagos then.

    However, Saraki, on May 10, 2019, filed the two separate suits before Justice Taiwo Taiwo (rtd ) to challenge the action of the EFCC.

    Justice Taiwo, who was the presiding judge then, ruled on an ex-parte application filed along with the substantive suits.

    The judge ordered the anti-corruption agency (4th respondent) and the other five respondents to the suits to stay action on the probe pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed by the applicant.

    The order was granted after Sunday Onubi, Saraki’s lawyer, moved the application, on May 14, 2019.

    The court had directed the parties to maintain the status quo by suspending the probe.

    But the EFCC later applied that the judge should recuse himself and the matter be transferred to another court.

    Justice Taiwo sent back the case file to the chief judge and the matter was reassigned to Justice Anwuli Chikere for adjudication.

    When the matter came up on July 14, 2021, before Justice Chikere, EFCC Counsel, Chile Okoronkwo, complained that Taiwo’s order had hindered the agency “from performing its duty for about two years now.”

    The lawyer, who stated that Saraki continued to hinge on the order of the court any time he is invited, urged the court to vacate the order.

    But the suits were reassigned to Justice Ekwo following the retirement of Chikere.

  • Buhari seeks confirmation of 7 ICPC members

    Buhari seeks confirmation of 7 ICPC members

    President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the Senate seeking confirmation of the appointment of seven members of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

    The letter was addressed to Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and read shortly after the commencement of Tuesday’s plenary.

    “Appointment of members of Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

    “In accordance with the provisions of Section (3) and (7) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000, I write to forward for confirmation to the Senate the under listed name of seven members of ICPC.

    “They are Justice Adamu Bello (retd); Katsina (North-west), Hanatu Muhammed, Jigawa (North-west), Mrs Olubukola Balogun, Lagos (South-west).

    “Others are Obiora Igwedibia, Anambra (South-east), Abdullahi Saidu, Niger (North-central), Dauda Umar, Nasarawa (North-central) and Grace Chinda, Delta (South-south).

    “It is my hope that the distinguished Senate will consider and confirm the appointment in the usual expeditious manner.”

  • Just In: Cash policy fallout as NFIU bans cash withdrawals from public accounts

    Just In: Cash policy fallout as NFIU bans cash withdrawals from public accounts

    The Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has banned all banks from executing demands for cash withdrawals from all public accounts.

    This is apparently one of the fallouts of the new cash policy as NFIU Head, Moddibo Haman Tukur, said this has become necessary to stop the rate at which cash was being taken out of public accounts.

    He said this was done “without recourse to the money laundering laws and sometimes for corruption purposes”.

    Tukur, at a briefing, said from 2015 to date, state governments alone have withdrawn N701 billion from their various accounts.

    He said federal bodies withdrew N225 billion while Local Government Council Authorities have withdrawn over N156 billion cash within the same period.

    As a result of the indiscriminate withdrawal of cash from public accounts, the NFIU boss said he had “instructed all financial institutions to stop cash withdrawals from government accounts from March 1, 2023”.

    “Any government official who flouts the order will be prosecuted alongside his or her accomplices,” he said.

    A fallout of this directive, he said, is that “Nigeria will become a full non-cash economy by March 1”.

    He added: “As a consequence, any government official that withdraws even one naira cash from any public account from March 1 will be investigated and prosecuted in collaboration with relevant agencies like EFCC and ICPC.”

    He said the NFIU had told banks and government agencies at all levels and all tiers to move fully into online.

    He said ll transactions involving public money must be routed through the banks for the purpose of accountability and transparency”.

    Tukur said any governor who withdrawals one Naira cash from any bank will be investigated immediately not minding the governor’s immunity.

    However, any cash withdrawal from a public account will henceforth require a waiver from the President and such waiver will be considered on their merits.

  • 3 Days Detention: “ICPC found nothing incriminating against D’banj”- Ozekhome blows hot

    3 Days Detention: “ICPC found nothing incriminating against D’banj”- Ozekhome blows hot

    Human Rights Activist, Chief Mike Ozekhome SAN, has described as unwarranted, illegal and unconstitutional, the three days detention of Nigerian singer, Oladapo Daniel Oyebanji, aka D’banj, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.

    The singer’s lawyer (Ozekhome) noted that the ICPC investigated and found nothing incriminating against him, hence released on administrative bail to him.

    It would be recalled that the anti-graft agency detained D’Banj on Tuesday, 6th November 2022 after he surrendered himself at the ICPC’s headquarters in Abuja.

    “D’Banj ‘s unnecessary detention for 3 whole days after cooperating with the ICPC by voluntarily cutting short his full engagements in South Africa, came to us as a big surprise. This is because he was neither a fugitive fleeing from justice nor a Defendant already undergoing a trial and jumping bail.

    D’Banj hereby emphatically denies and maintains his innocence in any involvement in the alleged diversion of the sum of N900m N-Power empowerment scheme

    “One would have expected that having voluntarily submitted himself and answered the ICPC ‘s call from South Africa to enable him clear his good name and solid reputation, by helping in its investigation, Dbanj ought to have been immediately released on administrative bail.

    “Unfortunately, we witnessed the usual, now infamous media trial for which the anti-corruption agencies are now known, through a clandestine release to the public, skewed details concerning his invitation, arrest and illegal detention, with no scintila of evidence found against him after three days of interrogation.

    “The ICPC ought to have first carried out a thorough investigation before issuing a pre-emptive damaging press release which,by its very screaming heading, had literally pronounced Dbanj guilty and culpable of fanthom, unproven and unprovable allegations even before investigation had commenced,” Ozekhome said.

    How not to fight corruption

    He added: “This is how not to fight corruption-a sad and unworkable template of media trial and the “name-and-shame” mantra. This invariably delivers the innocent into the hands mob hysteria and internet space-lynching, thus painting even the innocent such as Dbanj, guilty of a false allegation, with the paintbrush of shame, odium and obloquy, even before the investigation has commenced and been concluded.

    Let everyone learn to respect the presumption of innocence of all citizens, until proven guilty, as enshrined in section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution

    “It amounts to works from the answer to the question. It amounts to first detaining an innocent citizen, painting him black, and then fishing for non-existent evidence to nail him.

    “D’Banj hereby emphatically denies and maintains his innocence in any involvement in the alleged diversion of the sum of N900m N-Power empowerment scheme meant for beneficiaries or any amount for that matter. Nothing incriminating has been found against Dbanj by the ICPC after the whopping days of deep and uninterrupted investigation.”

    Make public account details of D’Banj and minister involved in the arrest

    “This is calling on the ICPC to thoroughly investigate this matter by inviting the minister who allegedly called in the ICPC, with all those alleged collaborators, and make public their account details, including Dbanj’s account details which are already in its possession.

    “Where the ICPC finds the evident witch-hunting and name-dopping of Dbanj, the least expected of this distinguished agency is to tender a public apology to Dbanj. It is so cheap and very easy to hurriedly demonize and accuse an innocent person, especially where his accusers leverage on his celebrity status to attempt tearing him to pieces and fling him under a powerful government moving train.

    “This attitude must stop. The 1946 immortal words of Martin Niemoller, a German theologian and Lutheran Pastor, which he uttered after World War 11, in which he had opposed Hitler’s despotic Nazi regime, are quite instructive here. Kindly read and digest them. Let everyone learn to respect the presumption of innocence of all citizens, until proven guilty, as enshrined in section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution,” Ozekhome asserted.