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Tag: EFCC

Ex-Minister Stella Oduah Arraigned In Abuja Over N2.4 Billion Fraud

Wale busari03 mins

The Federal Government on Wednesday arraigned former Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah in an Abuja High Court over allegations of fraud totaling N2.4 billion. Oduah appeared alongside Gloria Odita, facing a five-count charge involving fraud, obtaining by false pretence, and criminal breach of trust. According to the prosecution, in January 2014, the defendants allegedly conspired to unlawfully obtain N2,469,030,738.90 from the Federal Ministry of Aviation through Broad Waters Resources Nigeria Ltd and Global Offshore Marine Ltd by submitting false claims. The charges allege that Oduah and Odita “agreed among themselves to obtain the sum of Two Billion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Thirty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Eight Naira, Nine Kobo (₦2,469,030,738.90) by false pretence,” claiming it was for “Cost of Technical Supervision” and “Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services,” which the prosecution says was untrue. The offences reportedly violate Sections 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Act and carry penalties under Section 1(3). Specifically, the government alleged that on January 13, 2014, the defendants obtained ₦839,780,738.90 by falsely representing it as payment for “Cost of Technical Supervision.” On February 12, 2014, they allegedly obtained ₦1,629,250,000 under the pretext of “Security Integrated and Logistics Support Services.” Counts Four and Five accuse Oduah, as minister at the time, of misappropriating the same funds earmarked for a contract awarded to 1-Sec Security Nigeria Ltd, in breach of Section 311 of the Penal Code. Both defendants pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers, Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN for Oduah and Wale Balogun SAN for Odita, applied for bail. Ikpeazu requested Oduah be granted bail on self-recognition, noting that she voluntarily returned from the United States and had previously been on administrative bail by the EFCC. Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, who appeared for the prosecution, said the government had no objection to bail but urged the court to set a firm hearing date, noting that the defendants had been served with the proof of evidence since November 27. Justice Hamza Muazu granted both Oduah and Odita bail on self-recognition, directing them to deposit travel documents and seek court permission before traveling. The case was adjourned until February 12, 2026, for further proceedings.

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Malami Detained By EFCC Over Alleged Terrorism Financing And Missing Abacha Loot

Wale busari02 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), over allegations linking him to terrorism financing, money laundering, and the operation of suspicious accounts. Investigators are probing multiple financial concerns, including an alleged N10 billion investment traced to Kebbi State and the whereabouts of two major tranches of recovered Abacha loot — $322 million returned from Switzerland and another $22 million reportedly repatriated from the Island of Jersey in the UK. As of 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Malami remained in EFCC custody after failing to meet his bail conditions. Officials say the scope of allegations is extensive and may require several days of questioning. One of his wives is also expected to be interrogated over her alleged involvement in the handling of N4 billion released under the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Programme. According to an EFCC source, Malami “has a lot to clarify,” adding that some assets linked to him may be targeted for attachment pending the outcome of the investigation.

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Timipre Sylva’s Aide Condemns EFCC Sealing Former Minister’s Maitama Residence

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Julius Bokoru, Special Assistant to former Minister of Petroleum Timipre Sylva, has strongly criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for sealing his principal’s residence in the Maitama area of Abuja. In a statement issued on Monday and titled “A Grave Breach of Decency: EFCC’s Attempted Raid and Defacement of Sylva’s Family Home,” Bokoru said the commission’s conduct showed a disregard for due process. The action comes after the EFCC declared the former Bayelsa governor wanted in November over an alleged $14.8 million fraud. Before then, military intelligence officers had stormed Sylva’s home, arresting his brother and driver over supposed links to a failed coup attempt. Bokoru, who previously faulted the EFCC for announcing Sylva as wanted without first inviting him, noted that the former minister had already written to the commission last week proposing a mutually convenient date to appear. He described the latest attempt to access the property as an operation carried out “without a single letter, without a subpoena, without a warrant, without notification, and without even the most basic adherence to lawful process.” He added, “No courtesy. No procedure. No humanity. It is behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest. What unfolded today at the Maitama residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was nothing short of an affront to decency and a troubling assault on the very principles that underpin a civilised society.”

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Peter Okoye Rejects Report Claiming EFCC Lacks Evidence In Alleged $800,000 P-Square Fund Withdrawal Case

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Peter Okoye, popularly known as Mr P, has debunked claims that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lacks evidence to support his petition accusing his brothers, Jude and Paul Okoye, of illegally withdrawing $800,000 from their company account. Peter had petitioned the EFCC in 2024, alleging that Jude diverted company funds, ran 47 undisclosed bank accounts, and altered the shareholding structure of their jointly owned company, Northside Entertainment Ltd. A report by Punch last Friday claimed that during a resumed cross-examination at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, EFCC counsel Mohammed Bashir told Justice Rahman Oshodi that the commission could not present evidence of the alleged withdrawal. According to the report, Bashir stated: We do not have it. It is his evidence. Let him prove it. I can’t give what I don’t have. The EFCC was also quoted as saying it had no records of the accounts mentioned. Reacting on social media, Peter dismissed the story as jokes and propaganda, stressing that no such statement was made by the EFCC investigator in any court session.

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Malami Rejects EFCC Claims Of Duplicating $322.5 Million Abacha Loot

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Former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), has rejected the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) claims that he duplicated the recovery of the $310 million Abacha loot, calling the allegations “baseless, illogical and entirely without merit.” In a statement released by his media aide, Mohammed Bello Doka, Malami confirmed that he appeared before the EFCC on November 28, 2025, to answer questions regarding an alleged duplication of recovered funds, which had grown to $322.5 million with accrued interest by the time they were repatriated during his tenure. Malami described the EFCC’s accusations of abuse of office and money laundering as unfounded. The commission had claimed that Swiss lawyer Enrico Monfrini completed the recovery before Malami assumed office in 2015, and that any subsequent efforts were unnecessary and intended to benefit other lawyers through kickbacks. He countered that no funds had been lodged into the Federation Account by 2016, when the Buhari administration formally pursued the recovery. “Recovery can only be legally considered complete upon the actual lodgement of funds into the Federation Account. As of 2016, no such lodgement existed. Therefore, there was no completed recovery and nothing to duplicate,” Malami said. Malami further noted that several lawyers, including Monfrini, applied in December 2016 to be engaged for the same recovery, contradicting the EFCC’s narrative. He also revealed that Monfrini had demanded a $5 million upfront payment and a 40 percent success fee, later reduced to 20 percent, which the Buhari administration rejected. Instead, a Nigerian law firm was engaged on a 5 percent success fee basis, saving the country an estimated ₦76.8 billion to ₦179.2 billion. He detailed the recoveries made during his tenure, including: $322.5 million repatriated from Switzerland in 2017–2018, channelled through the National Social Investment Programme for Conditional Cash Transfers and monitored by the World Bank and civil society groups. Approximately $321 million recovered from Jersey in 2020, allocated for infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, Abuja–Kano Road, and the Second Niger Bridge. Malami insisted that any suggestion of wrongdoing ignores documented procedures and established facts. He described the allegations as politically motivated and expressed gratitude to his supporters for their “unwavering confidence.” “The allegations of money laundering and abuse of office concerning the $322.5 million Abacha loot remain baseless, illogical and entirely devoid of substance. I remain confident that truth, law and reason will ultimately prevail,” he said.

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Malami Says EFCC Meeting Was Successful, Scheduled For Further Engagement

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Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has described his meeting with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as “successful.” Malami shared the update on his X account on Saturday, noting that he was released after the session and has been scheduled for a follow-up engagement. “In line with my commitment to keep Nigerians informed about my EFCC invitation, I give glory to Allah for His divine intervention. The engagement was successful, and I have been released, with a further appointment set, as the truth regarding the fabricated allegations against me continues to emerge,” he wrote. The EFCC had invited Malami over claims connected to his tenure in office, though the commission has not revealed specifics of the investigation. Malami had earlier confirmed he would honour the invitation, emphasizing his dedication to accountability and transparency.

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Timipre Sylva Challenges EFCC, Requests Mutually Agreed Date To Address $14.8m Fraud Allegation

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Former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting a mutually agreed date to respond to its invitation over an alleged $14.8 million fraud. In a letter personally signed and addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, Sylva rejected the commission’s decision to declare him wanted, stressing that he has never ignored any lawful summons. The letter, dated November 24 and acknowledged by the EFCC on November 26, explained that Sylva is currently receiving urgent medical treatment for a “life-threatening condition.” He noted that he is consulting with his medical team to determine if he can temporarily suspend treatment to appear before the commission. “In view of the foregoing, I most humbly request that a mutually agreed date be set, subject to medical clearance, to enable me appear physically and formally,” he wrote. Sylva emphasized, “I trust that the objective of your invitation is not to unalive, but to genuinely investigate an alleged crime. For only the living can appropriately, fully and responsibly respond to any allegation, which I firmly and respectfully deny.” The former minister recalled recent events that have put him, his family, and associates under pressure, starting with “an unverified accusation” linking him to an alleged plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said the situation escalated into a military raid on his Abuja residence, during which several staff, including drivers and security aides, were arrested and remain in detention. “While still grappling with the emotional and psychological strain of those events, I was on Monday, November 10, 2025, publicly declared wanted by your esteemed agency over an alleged $14.8 million fraud,” Sylva wrote. He stressed that he had previously honored an EFCC invitation in December 2024 concerning the same matter, after which he was granted administrative bail on self-recognition and told he would be contacted again if needed. Sylva expressed surprise and dismay at being publicly declared wanted without prior notice, rejecting claims that he jumped bail. The former minister also suggested that the actions against him could be seen as a “political witch-hunt,” noting that he has been a target since the start of the current administration. Sylva, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was recently linked to a rumored aborted military coup. His Abuja residence was raided by operatives believed to be from military intelligence, and his younger brother, Paga, his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, and his driver were reportedly arrested during the operation. His Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Julius Bokoru, confirmed the raid but denied Sylva’s involvement in any coup plot. He accused unnamed politicians of orchestrating the events due to Sylva’s perceived political influence and criticized the EFCC for declaring him wanted without issuing any prior invitation.

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Alleged N4.6bn Arms Fraud : How ONSA’s Security Funds Were Diverted — EFCC Witness

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An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kazeem Yusuf, on Tuesday told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that the sum of N4.6 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), meant for the supply of security equipment, was diverted to sponsor pilgrimage to Makkah, the 2015 People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rallies and presidential election, among other uses. Yusuf stated this at the resumed hearing in the ongoing trial of a former Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda; a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (retd); former governor Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto; his son, Sagir Attahiru; and a company, Dalhatu Investment Limited, owned by the former governor and his son, before Justice Yusuf Halilu, sitting in Maitama, Abuja. The defendants are being prosecuted by the EFCC, on behalf of the Federal Government, on an amended 25-count charge bordering on misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and receiving stolen property. Led in evidence-in-chief by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, Yusuf told the court that investigations revealed that while contracts awarded by ONSA for the purchase of security equipment were not executed, the N4.6 billion involved was diverted to other uses. “Investigation revealed that the contracts were for the supply of security equipment. Responses from the Office of the National Security Adviser also showed that the contracts were for security purposes. “Further investigation also showed that the money (N4.6 billion) was not used for the purpose; it was diverted to other uses. “Investigation also showed from a letter from the Office of the National Security Adviser that the contracts were never executed,” the PW2 told the court. He said that when he commenced the investigation and asked the fourth defendant, Sagir Bafarawa, how the money received was spent, Sagir brought a list of expenditures to the commission. According to the PW2, “When I commenced investigation, Sagir brought a list of what he spent the money on. Some of them include payment for pilgrimage to Makkah, organisation of People’s Democratic Party rallies. “Others also include payment of monies to security agencies for monitoring elections, payment for the (2015) presidential election and other political activities.” Asked to read from the United Bank for Africa (UBA) and Guaranty Trust Bank account statements tendered before the court, the witness informed the court that money was transferred to some beneficiaries. He mentioned some of the beneficiaries to include Sheikh AbdurRahman Al-Sudais Foundation, which he said belonged to former governor Bafarawa, its chairman. The Foundation, he said, received the sum of N500 million. The PW2 also mentioned the 2015 PDP gubernatorial candidate in Sokoto State, Abdallah Wali, who received the sum of N580 million for the election through a company. At the end of Yusuf’s testimony, based on consensus, Justice Yusuf adjourned the case to 9–10 December for cross-examination of the PW2 by the defence counsel.

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