BOOM! Court Unfreezes 16 Accounts Belonging To Patience Jonathan

A Federal High Court in Abuja has set aside its order made on May 30, freezing 16 accounts belonging to wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan.
Justice Binta Nyako withdrew the order on Tuesday on the grounds that EFCC which secured the freezing order failed to conduct its investigation into the alleged infractions involving the 16 accounts.

The court’s decision followed an application by the counsel to Mrs. Jonathan asking the court to set aside an ex-parte motion filed by the EFCC for continued control of the accounts.

The lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, described EFCC’s motion as an abuse of court process.

Ozekhome revealed that the court had ordered the EFCC to conduct its investigation within 90 days of freezing the accounts in May, but the commission failed to carry out the said investigation.


Source: Premium Times

EFCC recovers N11.9m for Redeemed Christian Church of God

One of the regional Ministers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Mark Barango, has commended the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for being “an agent of transformation.

He said this while receiving a sum of N11, 984, 844, 11(Eleven Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty-Four Naira, Eleven Kobo only), recovered and returned to the church by the EFCC”.
Mr. Ishaq Salihu, South-South Zonal Head of the EFCC, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State handed over the money to him. The money was stolen by a banker and the Account Officer of the church, Ameh Cyril Idakwoji, in a web of fraudulent diversion and suppression of the finances of the church.
According to the EFCC, troubles came for Idakwoji when Access Bank Plc petitioned the EFCC about some missing funds in the accounts of one of its corporate customers in Port Harcourt. The customer, Jephthah International School, East-West Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, could not access N37,000,000( Thirty- Seven Million Naira only) in its account with the bank.

The bank traced the scam to one of its staff, Idakwoji and named him the mastermind of the fraudulent dealings. Idakwoji doubled as the Account Officer of Jephthah International School and Redeemed Christian Church of God, Region 5, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He defrauded the RCCG by suppressing and diverting cheques and cash meant for the Church to cover his shady deals in Jephthah International School. He was covering up by giving fake Statements of Accounts to both the school and the church.

To execute his criminal schemes in RCCG, he forged the letterheads of the church’s Region 5 and the signatures of the Pastor in charge of the Region. He also forged the signature of the church’s accountant and attached same to the August 2017 Salary Schedule of Jephthah International school to the tune of ( N7, 129, 128. 78).

The Church denied giving instruction for the payment of the salary of the school. Investigations by the Commission uncovered all the criminal movements of the fund of the church by Idakwoji and a sum of N11, 987, 844.11 found to have been stolen have now been recovered and returned to the church.

It will be recalled that a sum of N36,000,000( Thirty-Six Million Naira), recovered from Idakwoji, was returned to the management of Jephthah International School by the EFCC in September.

While presenting the money to the church, Salihu emphasized the commitment of the EFCC to bursting any financial and economic scam, no matter how complex. He reiterated the zero- tolerance of the Commission for corrupt practices and warned criminal elements in the country to desist from fraudulent practices. ” Crime and criminality are not limited to any group of people. They have no creed, no gender, and no religion. The RCCG is a large church and we are pleased to have been able to recover the stolen money for the church”, he said.

An appreciative Pastor Barango promised that the church will continue to pray for the continued success of the Commission. (EFCC.ORG)

EFCC May Seize Houses Property Worth N500m Owned Judge Ofili-Ajumogobia's

A Federal High Court Judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, risks losing properties worth about N500m if she fails to explain to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission where she got the money to buy the houses, This  was according to the PUNCH.

Impeccable sources within the commission told our correspondent that a house located at 18 Lai Ajayi Bembe Street, Parkview Ikoyi, Lagos was traced to the judge while another property on Atlantic Drive, UPDC Estate, Lekki, which has been marked by the EFCC, was said to belong to the embattled judge.
Our correspondent, who visited the property located at Ikoyi, observed that the property which is a two-storey building stands close to the house of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, who is in the EFCC custody.

EFCC May Seize Houses Property Worth N500m  Owned Judge Ofili-Ajumogobia's 

A source at the EFCC told our correspondent that the Ikoyi property was searched and incriminating documents were found.

It was learnt that the judge’s property which is a two-storey building with a detached quarters, costs over N350m while the one in Lekki costs over N120m.

The source at the EFCC said, “When we first invited her, she told us that she was ill and had been admitted at the Gold Cross Hospital, Bourdillon, Ikoyi. When we visited the place, we found out that she was not there.

“Moments later, some of the hospital staff tried to sneak her into the hospital but they were caught red-handed and they apologised. We later led the judge to her Parkview residence and searched the whole place.

“When asked where she got the money to build such a house, she said she got some money from her son who won a case against the London Police. She also gave some explanations which we are trying to verify.

“The Deed of Agreement is in someone else’s name but it carries her signature.”

Speaking further on the second home at Lekki, the detective said the judge claimed the house was not hers but a rented property.
 
He said, “At the Lekki home located at the UPDC Estate, she claimed the property was rented but we don’t believe it so we have marked the building and it is under investigation.”

The source said another property in London had been traced to Ajumogobia.

He added that the house was hurriedly paid for despite the fact that the mortgage taken on the property was supposed to elapse in 2018.

He said although her name was not written on the title documents, a company allegedly belonging to the judge was used in buying the property.

Judge Ofili-Ajumogobia's May loose Houses Property Worth N500m  Owned

The source said the property was worth hundreds of thousands of British pounds.

He added, “We found out that she is a director in a company known as Silver Step Incorporated and that was the name used in buying the London property. The property was bought on mortgage and it was supposed to elapse in 2018. However, payment was completed in 2014.”

On Tuesday night, the EFCC stumbled on a transaction involving N18m ($120,000 as of 2012) wired to a foreign account from her domiciliary account for the purchase of the London property in 2012.

The source said, “Ajumogobia owned up to the money but claimed it was a loan obtained privately from a family friend. The ‘family friend’, who is a chairman of an oil and gas company from where the funds emanated, has been invited by the commission for questioning. So far, he had told operatives that the money was an assistance he rendered to her.

“Inquiry into the loan facility as claimed by both of them showed no formal agreement or documentation as to how and when the repayment would be made.

“However, the oil and gas company chairman is presently telling the commission the extent of his relationship and involvement with the funds which was wired into the judge’s personal account sometime in 2012 while she was already a sitting judge of the Federal High Court.”

Ofili-Ajumogobia had last year, acquitted a former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, who had been brought before her by the EFCC for alleged money laundering and embezzlement of funds to the tune of N100m.

Following allegations of misconduct levelled against her regarding an election matter, the National Judicial Council barred her from receiving any promotion for the remainder of her career.

Apart from Ofili-Ajumogobia, seven other judges are currently under investigation by the EFCC and the Department of State Services.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia wired $900k to foreign bank accounts in 2 years- EFCC

Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumugobia was granted bail on Saturday evening after detectives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) searched her home in Lagos.

 

According to Sahara Reporters, when the agents were done with their search, the Federal High Court judge was weeping like a baby. The EFCC found several documents showing the judge had bought homes abroad and also recently, on Park Avenue in Ikoyi.

The most damning document shows that the judge, who once freed former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode on a technicality over corruption charges, had wired at least $900,000 to foreign banks between 2014-2016. .

She could not explain the source of the funds to investigators, who asked her to return to their offices on Monday. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia turned herself in to the EFCC on Thursday after she was traced to a hospital in Lagos where she had claimed she was admitted. .

As soon as the detectives found out her admission was fake, they arrested the medical director of the hospital, which led the judge to surrender. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is one of the 8 judges currently under investigation by the EFCC for various corruption issues.

EFCC Arraigned GMD Of Sunniyik Rivers Limited Over N229m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, October 24, 2016 arraigned one Sunday Evbodaghe and his company, Sunnivik Rivera Nigeria Limited, before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court on a 4-count charge of stealing, forgery and obtaining by false pretence.

Evbodaghe allegedly collected the sum of N229million from Lagos Free Trade Zone sometime in 2015, for the purpose of converting same to United State Dollars which at the time amounted to $1million at the rate of N229.00 (two hundred naira) to a dollar.
After collecting the money, the accused person refused to remit the dollar equivalent as agreed.

Investigation into the matter, among other things revealed that, the account statement of Sunnivik Rivera Nigeria Limited, the company where the money was allegedly paid to received a total sum of N229million in two tranches - August 25 and 26, 2016 respectively.


The offence contravenes Section 5(2), 8(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.

One of the counts reads:

“That you, Sunday Evbodaghe and Sunnivik Rivera Nigeria Limited, sometimes in 2015 at Lagos within the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court attempted to obtain the sum of N229,000,000 (Two Hundred and Twenty Nine Million Naira Only) from Lagos Free Trade Zone Company by falsely representing that about $1,000,000 (One Million United State Dollars) equivalent had been paid to one Munir Abiodun Alao and Nnamdi which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 5(2), 8(b) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No. 14, 2006.”

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Following their pleas, counsel to EFCC, Adebayo Aliyu, urged the court to fix a date for trial and also asked that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending trial.

However, Evbodaghe’s counsel, Lanre Ogunlesi, SAN, told the court that he had a pending application asking for the bail of his client
Consequently, Justice Ipaye adjourned to October 26, 2016 for hearing of bail application and ordered that the accused be remanded in Ikoyi prison.

Fraud Alert! EFCC Arrest FUTA Vice Chancellor, Bursar Over Abuse Of Office And Misappropriation Of Funds

Professor Adebiyi Daramola, Vice Chancellor Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State and the Bursar, Emmanuel Ademola Oresegun, are being investigated at the Iyaganku office of the EFCC in respect of an alleged case of Abuse of Office and misappropriation of funds reported against them.


According to the petition submitted to the EFCC, it was alleged that the duo were involved in “Corruption, Fraud, Criminal Breach of Trust, Unlawful Enrichment and Conversion of millions of Naira of the University”.

The Vice Chancellor allegedly drew Furniture Allowance annually instead of once in 4 years as approved and was paying himself Housing Allowance while residing in the University’s Vice Chancellor’s Quarters. The petition further alleged that he diverted funds from various unrelated subheads to finance other projects without the appropriate approvals for such virement.

They are still undergoing interrogation as at report of this news.

President Muhammadu Buhari Has Sacked EFCC Chairman

President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked the head of the country’s anti-corruption agency.

No reason was given for the removal of Ibrahim Lamorde, the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In August, Mr Lamorde denied allegations that $5bn (£3.3bn) had gone missing at the commission.

Mr Buhari won Nigeria’s presidential elections in March, promising to fight corruption in the country.

In August, a Senate committee said it was investigating charges that assets and cash recovered by the EFCC had been diverted.

At the time, Mr Lamorde told the BBC the charges were a smear campaign.

He led the EFCC for four years until his dismissal on Monday.

President Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu said later on Monday that assistant Police Commissioner Ibrahim Mustafa Magu had been appointed as the EFCC acting commissioner.

President Buhari – the former army general known for his authoritarian style – was elected in March on a platform of cleaning up Nigerian politics, the BBC’s Martin Patience in Lagos reports.

More than five months after he came to power his new cabinet is finally expected to be sworn in later this week. The reason for the extraordinary delay is that President Buhari wants to try to ensure that new ministers will not use their offices for personal gain, our correspondent says.

He adds that this has won Mr Buhari widespread support in Nigeria where many are tired of the corruption, which they believe is preventing the country from realizing its full economic potential.

Source: jumpfon

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