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Money laundering charges against Bobrisky were dropped lawfully – EFCC

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago05 mins

A Prosecutor with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Bilikisu Bala on Monday, September 30, 2024, told a Joint Committee of the House of Representatives investigating allegations of corruption against some officers of the Commission, and the Nigeria Correctional Service that charges of money laundering dropped in the trial of Idris Okuneye (a.k.a Bobrisky) were lawful and in compliance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA. Bala, head of the prosecution team that handled the trial of Okuneye pointed out to the Committee that the charges were dropped based on the disclosure of the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, that Okunenye’s firm, Bob Express, was not a Designated Non Financial Institution, Business and Profession, DNFIBP, and could not be prosecuted for flouting provisions of the Money Laundering Prevention & Prohibition Act, 2022. “We initially raised six count charges bordering on Naira Abuse and Money Laundering against Okuneye based on his confessional statement that his firm, Bob Express, was not registered with SCUML and was not rendering returns to it. Counts 1-4 were on Naira Abuse while counts five and six were on money laundering. Okuneye’s confession that he didn’t register his firm, Bob Express with SCUML and not rendering returns to it informed the money laundering charges initially included in the six count charges. However, when we wrote to SCUML on the status of the firm, the Unit responded that it was not a Designated Non-Financial Institution, Business and Profession, DNFIBP. We cannot lawfully sustain the charges in all sincerity. We, therefore dropped them and relied on the four counts on Naira mutilation to which Okuneye had pleaded guilty”, she said. The prosecutor dismissed claims of financial inducement in dropping charges maintaining that no such thing happened. “There is simply no basis for that. The Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, allows amendment of charges. It is a professional practice. It is laughable for anyone to attribute our decision to monetary issues. Why did we write to SCUML if we didn’t want to include the charges? We wrote to be lawfully guided and when the Unit responded that the firm had not breached any law, on what basis should we have retained the money laundering charges?”, she said. Bala, who appeared before the Committee with top management staff of the EFCC, charged the Committee to critically look into all the issues raised against the EFCC and make public its findings in the interest of justice. Chief of Staff to the EFCC’s Chairman, Commander of the EFCC, CE Michael Nzekwe who stood for the Chairman, Ola Olukoyede restated the seriousness the Commission attached to integrity of its staff. “We viewed the allegation of bribery against our officers seriously. Integrity is one of our core values. This is why we are here to place all the facts involved in the trial of Okuneye in the public domain”, he said. Okuneye, an ex-convict, had alleged in a viral video that he offered N15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) as a bribe to some unnamed EFCC officers to drop money laundering charges against him.

EFCC arraigns Ex-Taraba Gov Ishaku, Perm Sec for alleged N27b Fraud

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago04 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, September 30, 2024, arraigned former governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku and former permanent secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Bello Yero, before Justice S. C. Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja for fraud. Both are being prosecuted on a 15-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy and conversion of public funds in the state to the tune of N27,000,000,000.00 (Twenty Seven Billion Naira). One of the charges reads: “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July, 2015 and May, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and in such capacity entrusted with dominion over certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1,138,082,097.71 (One Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Eighty-Two Thousand, Ninety- Seven Naira, Seventy-One Kobo), which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State committed criminal breach of trust in respect of the said property, when you dishonestly diverted the said sum to your own use and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 315 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under the same section.” Another reads: “That you Darius Dickson Ishaku whilst being the governor of Taraba State and Bello Yero, whilst being the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State between July, 2015 and May, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated certain property, to wit: an aggregate sum of N1,138,082,097.71 (One Billion, One Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Eighty-Two Thousand, Ninety-Seven Naira, Seventy-One Kobo, which sum formed part of the 2.5% contingency fund belonging to Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Taraba State and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria 2007 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Act.” They pled “not guilty” when all the charges were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN to ask the court for a trial date as well as accelerated hearing on the matter, while Paul Haris Ogbole, SAN and Oluwa Damilola Kayode, counsel to Ishaku and Yero respectively made oral bail applications which Jacobs opposed, insisting on formal applications. Justice Oriji, adjourned the matter till Thursday, October 3, for hearing on bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC’s custody. Both defendants were arrested on September 27, 2024.

Bobrisky saga: VeryDarkMan arrives N’Assembly to testify

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has arrived at the national assembly. VeryDarkMan will testify before the house of representatives joint committee on financial crimes and reformatory institutions, over bribery allegations against officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Haliru Nababa, controller-general of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS). Dressed in a flowing traditional attire, VDM as he is also known, sauntered into the green chamber with Deji Adeyanju, his lawyer, in tow. Ola Olukoyode, chairman of the EFCC, is represented at the hearing by Michael Nzekwe, his chief of staff. Haliru Nababa, controller-general of the NCoS, is also in the building. Idris Okuneye, aka Bobrisky, is yet to arrive, but Avwerosuoghene Omuvwie, his lawyer, is in the chamber. VeryDarkMan had shared an audio of Bobrisky claiming she bribed some EFCC officials with N15 million to drop the money laundering charge against her. On Thursday, the lower legislative chamber resolved to probe the allegations against the anti-graft agency and the NCoS. Bobrisky was released on August 5, after she was sentenced to six months in prison on April 12 for abusing the naira. In the purported recording, the crossdresser also claimed that her “godfather”, alongside Nababa, ensured she served the six-month sentence in a private apartment and not in prison.

EFCC arrests 13 suspected internet fraudsters in Sokoto

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago01 mins

Operatives of the Sokoto Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested thirteen(13) suspected internet fraudsters in Sokoto, Sokoto State. They were arrested on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at the Gidan Yaro and Dandima areas of Sokoto based on actionable intelligence on their suspected involvement in internet-related offences. All the suspects claimed to be students of Usman Danfodio University Sokoto. They will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

Alleged 3.1bn Fraud: How I delivered $15.8m Cash to Suswam in his Residence – Witness

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago08 mins

Abubakar Umar, the Sixth Prosecution Witness, PW6, in the trial of former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam has narrated before the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja and presided over by Justice Peter Lifu how in 2014, he converted the sum of N3.1 billion, wired to him by Suswam as governor and delivered its equivalent of $15.8m in cash to him at his Maitama, Abuja residence. Suswan, alongside his then Commissioner of Finance, Omodachi Okolobia are facing 11-count amended charges of money laundering to the tune of N3.1 billion, being part of the proceeds from the sales of the state government’s shares held on its behalf by the Benue Investment and Property Company Limited, sold through Elixir Securities Limited and Elixir Investment Partners Limited. During the court’s proceedings, the witness, a bureau de change operator and CEO of Fanffash Resources, who has been testifying on the matter since 2018, first, before Justice A.R Mohammed and later Justice Okon Abang, disclosed that the total sum of N3.1 billion was transferred to him by Suswam, through a proxy in tranches with the first tranche of N413 million hitting his account on August 8, 2014 and the remaining, coming in subsequently to sum up to N3.1billion. Umar, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, affirmed that the proxy who did the naira transfers to him was a woman. According to the witness, he had to change a total sum of N3.1billion to dollars, which he said amounted to $15.8 million at the rate of N197 to a dollar and delivered it to Suswam in his Maitama, Abuja residence. “One day in 2014, when I was in the office, the former governor of Benue State asked me to meet him in his house in Maitama, Abuja. I went and met him in the house together with one fair woman. He asked me to give the woman my account number. I gave the woman my Zenith Bank account number. The woman said she’ll send money into that account. “On the 8th of August 2014, N413 million was transferred to my account. Based on this, I called the former governor and he told me to change the money to dollars and I asked him to give me time to do that. Three days after I bought the dollar equivalent, I called the former governor and informed him that the money was ready. He now asked me to take the money to his house in Maitama, near Jumat Mosque. I now told him that he should inform the security at the gate that I was coming, if not they’ll not allow me access into the gate. I took a cab to the house, and after I arrived at the house, I knocked at the gate and they opened. I told them my name. They opened the first and second gates and I sat in the waiting room where he came and met me. I now brought out the money which we both confirmed to be the equivalent of the N413 million. The exchange rate then was N197”, he said Testifying further, he said, “On the 12th of September 2014, N637 million was transferred to my account. After N637million was transferred to my account, after like 40 minutes N363million was also transferred into my account. On 13th October 2014, N630,008,050, (Six Hundred and Thirty Million, Eight Thousand and Fifty Naira) was also transferred to my account. On 17th October 2014 N1,068,000,000 (One Billion, Sixty-eight Million) was transferred to my account. It is the woman that was directed by the former governor to do the transfers. The total money transferred to my account was N3billion”. The witness who stated that he was neither arrested by the EFCC for giving any testimony in favor of the defendant, nor threatened by the Commission to give evidence against the defendant, further disclosed that he did not have receipts for the transactions, so also no record book for them, stating that he buys dollars from his fellow retailers and only records based on discretion. Justice Lifu adjourned the matter till October 4, 2024, for continuation of trial.

Bobrisky considers suicide

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago02 mins

Popular Nigerian cross dresser Idris Olarenwaju Okuneye also known as Bobrisky is considering taking his life following the raging controversies over his incarceration. Mr Okuneye alleged to have served his jail term at a private residence and not at the Correctional Facility in Kirikiri, Lagos. In a post on his Instagram field on Thursday, Bobrisky wrote; “I have never in my life thought about suicide but now it is coming to my head seeing what human beings are doing to their fellow human just in the name you want to bring them down by force or because you don’t like them (sic). “I don’t need sympathy from anyone. “People I might need sympathy from are my late parents. “But who will fight for you? “Friends? “Haters you won.” Mr. Idris’s situation remains cloudy as at press time as he has deleted all the pictures on his Instagram. Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede has ordered immediate investigation of alleged bribery allegations imputed to some officers of the Commission by Bobrisky in a viral video circulating across the country. Okuneye, an ex-convict had alleged in the video powered by Martins Vincent Otse (a.k.a VeryDarkMan) that some unnamed officers of the EFCC collected the sum of N15,000,000 (Fifteen Million Naira) only from him to drop money laundering charges against him.

Alleged N33.8bn Fraud: How Saleh Mamman ordered multiple cash transfers into 13 unauthorised entities

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago08 mins

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, commenced the trial of Ex-Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, for an alleged N33.8billion fraud with the presentation of its first witness. Mamman was arraigned on Thursday, July 11, 2024, on 12-count charges bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-Three Kobo). At Wednesday’s proceedings, Prosecution witness One, PW1, Abubakar Kweido, an operative of the EFCC while being led in evidence by Adeyinka Olumide Fusika, SAN, narrated how investigation activities reviewed that multiple monetary transfers were made from the project account meant for Mambilla hydroelectric power project into various companies with the aid of bureau de change operators into foreign currencies, Naira and bank transfers to over 13 entities. Kweido said there was an intelligence assigned to his team, alleging that funds meant for the power plant were diverted through conspiracy by top officials in power. The funds, he said, were a loan granted to Nigeria by China’s Exim bank and the period of the investigation was from 2019 to 2023. “At the time investigations were carried out, the defendant was the Minister of Power between 2019 to 2021. We commenced the investigation by writing letters of investigation to different Ministries and Agencies of the Government and various commercial banks, the responses received reviewed that he authorized the payment to some contractors and companies using One Joint Venture of Tractebel and De-Crown Projects Ltd and Sino Hydro Groups. “De-Crown projects Ltd was used as a project consultant, and Sino Hydro Groups was the engineering procurement contractor. Our investigation revealed that huge amount of money from the project account of Mambila was sent to different entities that were not authorized on the project, we then wrote letters of investigation activities to the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for Mambila and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects. “We also submitted the Award Letters of the authorized contractors and we received response letters by the two authorized contractors, De-Crown Projects and Sino Hydro Groups” he said. The letters and responses were tendered and admitted as PWA. In addition, four Letters from the Office of the Accountant General comprising account statements and responses were tendered and admitted in evidence as PWb2 and PWb3 Continuing, “When we analyzed the responses, we saw that over N33.8bn from the project account were sent to over 13 entities that are not the authorized contact, some of them are “Prymint Investment Ltd, Gurupche Business Enterprise, Shipikin Global Enterprises, Silverline Ventures, Intech Nigeria Ltd, Breathable Investment Ltd, First Class Contraction Ltd, Spinhillls Biz International Ltd, Fulex Utility Concept Ltd, Platinum Enterprise among others”. “We also requested the bank record of the accounts from Corporate Affairs and other Commercial banks which revealed that the persons behind the operation of these entities were mainly Maina Goje, Abdulahi Suleiman and Abdulahi Garba. We invited them to account for the funds they received from the Mambila project account. They reported to our office where they informed us that they have never applied for any contract with the Federal Ministry of Power or the Federal Government. “They said they were bureau de change operatives. They also mentioned that all the monies received were disbursed based on the instructions of one Mustapha Abubakar Dida. The disbursements were usually in foreign currencies, Naira cash and sometimes via bank transfers”. He revealed that Mustapha Dida was the Project Accountant of Manbilla Mambilla and Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant Projects and they denied knowing him or the boss, as it was one Mrs Bawo Idris whom they referred to as Yaro was the only person they had physical contact with. “So we invited Mrs Bawo Idris, and she volunteered her statement where she mentioned that she was the personal assistant to the defendant at that time. She also informed us that she also received instructions from the defendant for disbursement which is from his First Bank and GTB accounts. Also, one of the accounts that received money from the project account is Sammie Court Resource Ltd. We contacted them and their managing director who he reported and informed us that the said payments were for the rent of a bedroom apartment. He also informed us in writing that the defendant was the one using the apartment. Some other accounts that benefited include Vintage Nigeria Ltd, Abdulahi Suleiman, Fullest Utility Concept, Firstclass Contraction and Project, Golden Bond Nig Ltd, AIJ Global, Usman Isah, Abdulkareem Danladi. The matter was adjourned to October 9, 2024, for continuation of trial.

EFCC tackles Yahaya Bello’s non-appearance in Court

Prince Odutola3 months ago3 months ago07 mins

Lead prosecution counsel in the trial of former governor of Kogi State Yahaya Adoza Bello, Kemi Pinheiro SAN, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, told Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja that the recent appearance of Bello at the parking lots of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was out of place as both the trial court and Court of Appeal clearly ordered him to present himself for arraignment in the N80.2billion money laundering charges preferred against him by the EFCC. “There is nowhere my Lordship or the Court of Appeal ordered that Yahaya Bello present himself at the EFCC car park, but rather to appear before my Lordship for arraignment. What is even more worrisome and disconcerting is that the defendant went to the EFCC car park holding the hands of a person with immunity who came with all the full security of his office” “The implication, my Lord, is if there was an attempt to get him from the person of immunity, there would be an invitation to anarchy. The invitation by the EFCC later in the day for Yahaya Bello to come alone, not with a person with immunity, security persons and other people was resisted again on their own admission”, he said. Speaking further, Pinheiro pointed out, “My Lord, we wrote a letter to the defendant’s lawyers drawing our colleagues’ attention that arraignment is not conducted in EFCC’s car park, but the defendant should be in court today according to the judgment of the Court of Appeal and this honourable court’s ruling”. Pinheiro also urged the judge to demonstrate his might and exercise his power to show Bello’s counsel A.M Agboyi that the court is not a vaudeville for entertainment but for serious business. “This court is not a vaudeville, a vaudeville is a place of diverse entertainment. I want to borrow the words of Justice Uwaifo that no party should make a court a place of entertainment. The court must resist it. It is a place of serious and solemn business”, he said. He specifically sought the order of the court for Agboyi to be sanctioned and referred to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, for turning the court to a vaudeville. My Lord, it is against this backdrop that I will make this assertion that my learned friend wants to turn this place to an entertainment place or a casino. I want the court to use its power against him because his senior advocates have left and they pushed him so that it will serve as a lesson to others,” he said. He also sought leave of the court to proceed to the trial of Bello in absentia. Meanwhile, Abdul Mohammed SAN, counsel to Adeola Adedipe SAN, craved the indulgence of the court to exercise its discretion not to charge Adedipe for contempt. “Our application is filed on the 18th of July 2024, it is supported by an 11-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the applicant Mr. Adeola Adedipe. That affidavit has an exhibit marked A, and in compliance with my Lord is a written address. “We are urging my Lord to exercise his discretion, we are on bended knees begging you to exercise your discretion and grant the prayers that are contained in the affidavit”, he said. After listening to the counsels, Justice Nwite stressed that “the matter is slated for arraignment, and it seems it has gone back to square one. It’s been over five months now and I don’t know how the case is going. With the submission made by counsels this morning, it’s quite unfortunate, but I have to reserve my comments, I have to reserve judgement on the submission of these counsels”. He thereafter adjourned the matter till October 30, 2024, for arraignment and ruling. The EFCC is prosecuting Bello on 18-count charges bordering on money laundering to the tune of N80.2billion.