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Tag: Scam

  • EFCC arrests fake pastor over alleged N1.8bn contract scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has arrested a “pastor’’ over an alleged contract scam of N1.8 billion.

    The spokesman of the commission, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, identified the suspect as James Ezekiel.

    Ezekiel, according to the commission’s spokesman, claimed to be the presiding pastor of One Touch Power Ministry, Agudama, Epie in Bayelsa.

    He said the suspect was arrested by operatives at the Port-Harcourt Zonal Office of the commission.

    Uwujaren said the suspect allegedly defrauded an unsuspecting victim of N1.3 million by deceiving him to enlist as one of the “financiers’’ of a spurious N1.8 billion contract.

    He added: “Ezekiel claimed to have won a contract for the roofing of a church cathedral belonging to the Salvation Ministries in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

    “He reportedly put the contract sum at N1.8 billion and showed a contract award letter to his victim.

    “He also wooed his victim to collaborate with him as one of the “financiers” of the contract.

    “Ezekiel promised the victim mouth-watering interests on his investment’’.

    Trouble started for the suspect when the victim demanded repayment of his money with interests, which he couldn’t pay immediately.

    Uwujaren said investigations showed that the suspect delayed making the payment by deceiving him that he had been paid N800 million as mobilisation fee for the contract.

    He said Ezekiel lied that he could not access the funds because his company’s account had been frozen by the EFCC.
    Uwujaren said the suspect also contrived a fake EFCC’s e-mail message notifying him of the freezing of the account.

    He said that the victim suspected foul play and petitioned the commission to help him reclaim his money.

    “Further investigations showed that the Salvation Ministries did not award any contract to Ezekiel and no transfer of N800 million was made into his company’s account.

    “Besides, the e-mail address he ascribed to the EFCC does not belong to the commission.

    “The suspect allegedly initiated the scam to fraudulently obtain money from the petitioner and other unsuspecting members of the public.

    “The suspect is in the custody of the EFCC and will be charged to court soon,’’ Uwujaren said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that EFCC had on May 23, arrested another ‘fake’ pastor, ThankGod Udechukwu, in Lagos for allegedly duping a member of his church millions of naira.

  • N26m scam: Absence of witness stalls Fani-Kayode’s trial

    The trial of Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation was on Tuesday stalled at the Federal High Court, Abuja, due to absence of a prosecution witness.

    Fani-Kayode was docked by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on a 5-count charge bordering on money laundering and criminal breach of trust,

    The prosecutor, Mrs Ashibi Anedu, told the court that the matter was for continuation of trial, but unfortunately the witness was absent.

    She said that the witness, Mr Francis Abu, was with them on Monday, but just when they were about to start the pre-trial, the “man excused himself and went out.’’

    Anebu said that they made frantic efforts to reach him on phone but all to no avail.

    She also said that the investigators equally made efforts to get to the witness but could not reach him.

    The prosecutor made an application pursuant to Section 241 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA) 2015, for a witness summons to be officially served on the witness.

    “We humbly apologise that the matter cannot go on today. May the court grant our application,’’ Anedu said.

    The defence counsel, Mr Victor Okwudiri, did not oppose the application for adjournment.

    Justice John Tsoho asked the prosecution to furnish the court with the name and address of the witness, and ordered that a witness summons be served on him.

    Tsoho adjourned the matter until Sept. 24 for continuation of trial.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the EFCC on a five-count charge bordering on money laundering.

    The ex-aviation minister was accused of collecting N26 million from the Office of the former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki and using same for media campaign, contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering Act.

    He pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail in the sum of N50 million and one surety in like sum.

     

  • EFCC arraigns Tukur over land scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arraigned one Muhammed Ibrahim Tukur before Justice Emeka of the Federal High Court Kaduna, on 3 count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence.

    The accused is facing prosecution following a transaction he carried out in 2016 after selling a plot of land which the documents attached were forged and fake.

    The Complainant stated that the accused had accosted him with documents of property situated at No. 4 Sambo Kwassalo Road, Gaskiya Layout Zaria Kaduna State with Certificate of Occupancy No. KD 9411 which he claimed owership.

    The land was advertised to prospective buyers of which one Alhaji Ibrahim indicated interest and negotiations were made.

    They settled for N8,000,000. 00 (Eight Million Naira) only and a cheque was raised in favour of the suspect but after five months of issuing the cheque, the buyer was called and informed that the land does not belong to the suspect, hence the petition.

    Every effort to recover the money or claim the said property proved abortive, according to the EFCC.

    However, the suspect pleaded not guilty to all count charges against him.

    While adjourning hearing of bail application to 31st May, 2018, Justice Emeka remanded the accused in prison custody.

     

  • EFCC arraigns Chinedu Mathew Nwobi over employment scam

    EFCC arraigns Chinedu Mathew Nwobi over employment scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned Mr. Chinedu Mathew Nwobi before Justice Dugbor-Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court, Enugu.

    TheNewsGuru reports EFCC arraigned Chinedu on a two- count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N1,900, 000.00, contrary to section 8 (a),and 1(1)(c) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

    Investigations carried out by the Commissions showed that the defendant, between 8th February, 2018 obtained the sum of N1,900,000 from the petitioner alleging that he is a staff of Nigeria Prison Service and that his colleague, Mr. Chinedu Mathew who works in the Arms Department of the Prison Service, Abuja, came to his duty post and told him that there were vacancies/slot from his uncle, Mr. Eze Ephraim who works in Interior Department Abuja.

    The petitioner further stated that Mr Eze further requested for additional N300,000, yet they couldn’t get the job. The petitioner lamented that efforts made to get back his money proved abortive.

    When the case was called up, prosecution counsel M.K Basil, applied that the charge be read to the defendant to which he pleaded not guilty. The defence counsel, J.E Orji made an oral application for the bail of the defendant which was refused by the Judge who ordered him to apply formally.

    He subsequently remanded the defendant in prison custody and the matter adjourned to February 10th, 2018 for trial and hearing of bail application.

     

  • FAAC meeting deadlocked as 36 Finance Commissioners stage walk out over NNPC scam

    The monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting for the month of February ended on Tuesday in a deadlock in Abuja as the thirty-six (36) finance commissioners staged a walkout over noticeable discrepancies in subsidy payment report presented by the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    A civil rights organisation, Coalition for Probity and Integrity in Civil Service (CPICS), revealed that the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC), had failed to meet twice in the last one week because of a major disagreement between the NNPC and the 36 State Commissioners of Finance.

    The coalition said the 36 State Commissioners of Finance walked out of FAAC meeting on Tuesday “because of NNPC’s dubious disclosure and fraudulent posture over the subsidy payment.”

    Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Executive Director of CPICS, Dr. Suleiman Abubakar, said with this development, civil servants might not receive their salaries for the month of March before the Easter holiday which commences on Friday.

    In his words: “Kachikwu and Baru admitted that the cost differential of N26 per litre is being paid by government as subsidy without stating who authorised the payment. You will recall that subsidy is being paid without appropriation by the National Assembly for which the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) instituted a probe

    “The investigative hearing held on January 4 and even then the chairman of the committee, Senator Kabiru Marafa, curiously removed probe of the alleged subsidy payment from the agenda. After going through the report on the hearing, as submitted by the Marafa-led committee, the senators discovered that the report was silent on the alleged illegal subsidy payment.

    “As we speak, the FAAC meeting experienced another stalemate because the State Commissioners of Finance rejected and walked out of the meeting arising from discrepancies in the sharing of federally collected revenue among the three tiers of government occasioned by NNPC’s dubious disclosure and fraudulent posture over the subsidy payment.”

    According to him, this would be the second time in five months that the NNPC had failed to make its return into the federation account.

    He said, “The FAAC meeting was postponed last week because the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was yet to remit the revenue for the month into the federation account.

    “The rescheduled meeting for Monday did not hold because the 39 Commissioners of Finance were not happy with the dubious disclosures from NNPC over subsidy payment that they walked out of the FAAC meeting. There was no possibility of another meeting taking place before the end of this week.

    “Apart from Lagos State, there is hardly any other state in Nigeria that can survive even for one month without the federal allocation. The FAAC meeting for March did not hold because NNPC is yet to remit the revenue accruing to the federal, states and local governments into the federation account.

    “The members of FAAC were in Abuja last week for the meeting but were informed that it had been postponed because there was no money to share. The implication is that virtually all the states will be unable to pay workers salary for this month till after the Easter holiday.

    “In 2017, the delay by the NNPC to make its monthly remittance to the federal coffers resulted in workers in some states receiving their November salary about a week to Christmas.”

    The Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, also confirmed the development to reporters shortly after the meeting at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja.

     

  • Court sentences fake engineer to 1,230 years imprisonment over N28m scam

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere has sentenced a self-proclaimed site engineer and housing agent, Babatunde Habeeb, to 1,230 years imprisonment for a N28 million scam.

    Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye convicted Habeeb, also known as Babatunde Salaudeen, of defrauding 101 accommodation seekers under the pretext of renting them 13 apartments in a building at Alapere-Ketu, Lagos.

    She found him guilty of 82 counts of conspiring with his elder brother, Alhaji Ishola Salaudeen, and obtaining the N28m under false pretence.

    According to the prosecutor, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Alhaji Salaudeen, who owns the property, is at large.

    The court said the EFCC proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

    According to the commission, the convict committed the offences in 2013.

  • Recruitment scam: Court convicts two for N2.9 million in Akwa Ibom

    Recruitment scam: Court convicts two for N2.9 million in Akwa Ibom

    The Uyo zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday secured the conviction of Idris Abdullahi and Andrew Olije at the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.‎

    The duo pleaded guilty to ten counts of obtaining the sum of N2. 9 million by false pretence.

    They allegedly obtained the sum from unsuspecting citizens under the guise that they (Idris and Andrew) were staff of SAB (Scientific Advisory Board) in California USA, and were going to recruit them into the said company.

    In view of their guilty plea, the prosecuting counsel N. K. Ukoha prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

    Justice Riman immediately convicted them on all counts and sentence them to a fine of N155, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Five Thousand Naira only).

    The conviction which followed a plea bargain agreement, came after a full restitution of the complainants by the convicts, in line with the provisions of Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

    One of the charges reads:

    That you Idris Abdullahi and Andrew Olije sometime in 2017 at Uyo within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N153, 000.00 from one Glory Nkan Akpan under false pretence that you are staff of SAB (Scientific Advisory Board) based in California, USA and that she would be recruited into the SAB which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

     

  • EFCC grills NIHSA DG, others over alleged involvement in N279m scam

    Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have interrogated the Director-General of Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA), Moses Oluwatoyin Beckley and seven others the alleged award of N279,675,796 phony contracts at the agency.

    The others are the Deputy Director (Account), Mrs. Hauwa Ibrahim; Mary Abioye (Central Processing Officer); Ajayi F. Alaba (Asst. Director, Head, Internal Auditor); Jonathan Mbachi (Asst. Chief Executive Officer Accounts); Banwo Oladele Oluwale (Chief Accountant); Joseph Awe Olufemi (Head, Salary); and David Okon Williams (Chief Executive Officer, Accounts).

    Also interrogated is the owner of Full Range Bureau de Change into whose account N130m was allegedly paid.

    Detectives have recovered about N135, 567,047 out of the N279.6million.

    A source, who was privy to the investigation, gave the details of how the fraud was allegedly perpetrated by a top official and the staff of the accounts department.

    The source said: “In the course of investigation, various sums of money meant for capital projects were observed to have been diverted by various staff of the Accounts Department as well as the Director General of the agency, using their personal accounts or their private companies.

    “They hid under the guise of paying for projects/contracts that were either non-existing or never executed. About N135, 567,047 has been recovered and registered as exhibit.

    “A summary of the amounts linked to each suspect and duly admitted by the suspects in their cautionary statements are as follows:

    • Moses Beckley (DG NIHSA) – N40,000,000.00
    • Hauwa Ibrahim (Deputy Director Accounts) – N49,112,502.00
    • Mary Abioye (Central Processing Officer) – N47,546,000.00
    • Ajayi F. Alaba (Asst. Director, Head, internal Auditor) – N2,000,000.00
    • Jonathan Mbachi (Asst. Chief Executive Officer Accounts) – N305,000.00
    • Banwo Oladele Oluwale (Chief Accountant) – N612,047.00
    • Joseph Awe Olufemi (Head, Salary) – N7,759,400.00
    • David Okon Williams (Chief Executive Officer Accounts) – N2,340,847.00

    The eight suspects may face trial.

    “From the investigation carried out so far, a case of conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of public funds can be established against the suspects,” the source said, adding:

    “We are going to arraign all the suspects very soon after the completion of our investigation.”

    Another source said the EFCC acted on an anonymous petition which revealed the rot in the agency. The petitioners alleged conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of public funds.

    Said the source: “The petitioner alleged that the Director-General of the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA), Mr. Moses Oluwatoyin Beckley conspired with the Deputy Director, Account Mrs. Hauwa Ibrahim and some other staff of the Account Department and diverted large amount of money meant for the agency’s 2016 budget for their personal use.

    “Upon receipt of the petition, the Director of Administration and Finance of the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency was invited and interviewed. The Chairman of the staff union of the agency was also invited and interviewed.

    “Staff of the account department were interviewed and their various statements recorded under word of caution.

    “Voluntary statements of some staff of the agencies involved for 2015 and 2016 were obtained from various banks and analysed.

    “Information on various companies linked to the suspects were also obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    “A bureau de change owner, Full Range Bureau de Change whose account the sum of N130m was paid into was interrogated.”

    The Director General of the agency, Mr. Moses Oluwatoyin Beckley, was interrogated and released on bail.

  • Mounir Gwarzo, SEC DG allegedly paid self N104m severance benefit

    The Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission, SEC, Mounir Gwarzo, allegedly got a severance package of N104 million from the same commission shortly after he was named DG two years ago.

    Before his appointment as the SEC DG by former President Goodluck Jonathan on May 22, 2015, Gwarzo was an executive commissioner at SEC.

    On assuming office as DG, he allegedly paid himself the hefty package as entitlement for being an executive commissioner for two and a half years.

    Despite the opposition mounted by the acting head of SEC legal department, Frana Chuwuogo, Gwarzo allegedly received over N104 million as benefits of his former position.

    This is contained in a petition to the House of Representatives.

    The petition reads, “On assumption of office as the DG of the Commission, Mr. Gwarzo immediately requested that the sum of N104,851,154.94 (One Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-Four Naira and Ninety-Four Kobo), be paid to him as severance package for the cessation of his appointment as Executive Commissioner of the Commission.

    “The requested severance package in the sum of N104,851,154.94 (One Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty-Four Naira and Ninety-Four Kobo), was paid by the Commission into Mr. Gwarzo’s bank account, held with Guarantee Trust Bank PLC, with account number 0023868895.

    “Mr. Gwarzo received the above stated payment of a severance package in total disregard of the opinion of Mr. Frana Chukwuogo, the Acting Head of the Commission’s Legal Department, who clearly stated, in accordance with best practices, that a severance payment can only be paid to an employee of the Commission who has concluded his or her service and has completely disengaged from the Commission and not to an employee who has been promoted within the Commission and has not severed his employment with the Commission.”

    The petition said the SEC DG had been awarding contracts to his family members and friends, in violation of the rules guiding the commission.

    It said Gwarzo, his family members and certain directors of the commission were shareholders and directors in companies “used to carry out illegal transactions”

    Details of the “illegality” were stated, with at least four different accounts said to be traced to him.

    “Mr. Gwarzo and two of his relatives are Directors of Outbound Investment Ltd. (the Company). Since Mr. Gwarzo assumed office as DG of the Commission, the Company has been the sole supplier of diesel to the Commission.

    “The Company has also supplied air conditioners to the Lagos Zonal office of the Commission, as well as supplied fridge to the Commission. See Appendix BI attached hereto.

    “Payments made by the Commission to the Company for contracts executed can be verified from the Company’s bank account held with United Bank for Africa Plc, with account number 1016723428.

    “In addition, the Company has executed more contracts for the Commission which are not listed in Appendix B1, however these contracts can be verified from the Commission’s accounting records.

    “Mr. Gwarzo is the DG of the Commission is a Director of Medusa Investments Limited (the Company). The only other Director of the Company is Khadija Mustapher, who is also the wife of the DG of the Commission.

    “The Company has actively been used by Mr. Gwarzo, as a shell to carry out illegal transactions as is verifiable from the frequent transactions carried out through the Company’s bank account held with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, with Account Number 0023953920. Mr. Gwarzo is a signatory to the said Company account. See Appendix B1 attached hereto.

    “Mr. Haris Haliru Gwarzo, the younger brother of the DG of the Commission, is the Sole proprietor of Northwind Environmental Services (the Company). The Company has been engaged by the Commission to clean the Commission’s Kano Zonal Office, since the inception of Mr. Gwarzo’s tenure as the DG of SEC. See Appendixes B1 and B4 attached hereto.

    “Payments made by the Commission to the Company for contracts executed, can be verified from the Company’s bank account with Diamond Bank Plc, with Account Number 0095179297.”

  • N30trn revenue scam: More companies are complying – Senate

    The Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff and Marine Transport has vowed to continue its ongoing investigation into alleged N30 trillion revenue scam in the import and export chain.

    The Chairman of the committee, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, made this known while briefing newsmen after its investigative meeting with some of the companies on Wednesday in Abuja.

    He said the interest of the Senate in the investigation was to assist the executive in recovering monies trapped in the import and export chain.

    He said “there are allegations that the investigation is borne out of personal interest.

    ”Once a senate committee passes a resolution such as this, it cannot be termed as decision of a single senator.

    “You may not like my face as a person but it is important to look at the credibility of the work we are doing.

    “We need to sanitise the import and export circle to ensure that trade is facilitated and non-oil revenue is recovered and strengthened.

    “In that manner, government will not rely so much on oil.”

    The lawmaker further said that while some had alleged that the investigation was a sham, some of the indicted companies had started refunding monies running into billions of Naira to Federal Government.

    ”As a result of this investigation, banks which are the authorised dealers in the export and import chain have been making effort to remit everything collected by them to the Central Bank.

    ”We are doing this on a friendly note because we do not want to send a wrong signal to the market.

    ”Although more funds other than the N120 billion I announced sometime ago have been recovered, we do not want to send wrong signal.

    “We are limited to speak further on how much has been recovered so far.

    ”However, we will definitely come up with figures recovered at the end of the investigation.”

    Uzodinma explained that the committee was saving the figures till the end of the investigation because some of the companies were quoted on the Capital Market.

    According to him, revealing the figures will send panic to the market.

    He also explained that the committee resorted to interfacing with individual companies rather than meeting with them in group to enable them to open up to the committee.

    Uzodinma said the strategy had yielded positive result, particularly in recovering trapped funds.

    “The companies are now free to admit and some of them have promised to make payments.

    ”Today alone, three companies came with receipts of payment.

    ”If we did not embark on this investigation, we would not make these recoveries.

    ”Through this investigation, we have helped the Federal Government to recover some money and we are sure that government will recover more money because we have detailed information that will aid more recovery.

    ”The companies are no longer contesting most of the documents of infractions we confronted them with.”

    The chairman called for the support of relevant stakeholders including the media in the ongoing investigation.

    He explained that the country would not be able to make the necessary progress if Nigerians were not committed in ensuring that national interest was continually protected.

    He said though Nigeria was populated enough be known as giant of Africa, there was need for commensurate commitment by Nigerians.