CORRUPTION: MORE EX-GOVS TO BE ARRAIGNED

• EFCC takes steps to prevent those under watch from leaving country
There are strong indications that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will in the coming days invite more former governors, which is more or less a step to charging them to court over alleged money laundering, abuse of office and other offences. The move is consistent with the anti-graft agency’s resurgence in the last few weeks after a long lull which led many observers to conclude it had lost the will to fight corruption.
This week saw the dramatic arraignment of three ex-governors at various courts across the country. Before their separate appearances before Federal High Courts sitting in Abuja and Kano, respectively, operatives of the commission had quizzed former governors of Adamawa, Jigawa and Imo states.

HOW TO STOP CORRUPT POLITICIANS FROM CONTESTING, BY LAMORDE, EFCC BOSS

• Launches ‘Red Alert on scam’
To stop corrupt politicians from contesting, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, yesterday called for an amendment to anti-graft law making suspects presumed guilty before court’s pronouncement.
This, he said, could sanitize the polity and rid it of people of questionable characters.
He said the call became imperative to restrict corrupt politicians who have cases to answer in anti-graft agencies and courts, but are still involved in the elections.
According to him, when this is done, suspects would have to be acquitted of the charges against them before being appointed into positions of authorities.
The anti-graft boss also warned the public especially applicants to be cautious of how fraudsters operate to avoid being victims.
He spoke while presenting “Red Alert on scam,” a special publication of the EFCC, to the press in his office.

FALLOUT OF PRIMARIES: 250 PETITIONS FLOOD EFCC

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has received over 250 petitions against governorship and National Assembly candidates who emerged victorious from the just-concluded political parties’ primaries to contest the 2015 elections.
A top official of the commission, who confirmed receipt of the petitions to Nigerian Pilot, said they came mostly from the EFCC’s zonal offices. He hinted that some of the petitions bordered on tax matters instead of graft cases.
He said the petitions would be referred to the appropriate quarters while the agency would investigate those that have merits and fall under the EFCC’s jurisdiction.
According to him, “we will not go after any politician based on a petition that has not been thoroughly investigated even though a good number of them are with facts and figures.”

EFCC DEBUNKS REPORTS ON ITS FINANCIAL STATUS

Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday described as untrue recent newspaper reports that one of its officials said the Commission is broke and has less than N2million in its coffers.
In statement issued by Wilson Uwajaren, its spokesperson, the anti graft agency said the comment credited to the Secretary to the Commission, Mr Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo who led a delegation of the EFCC to the public hearing by the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes on the Bill to establish the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency on the issue is a gross misrepresentation of what transpired at the event.

FG TO UNLEASH EFCC ON REBEL GOVS

As PDP moves to wield big stick against splinter group
From FRED ITUA, Abuja and DESMOND MGBOH, KanoTwenty-four hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its mini national convention which produced a splinter group, the Federal Government is set to punish the arrowheads. These are the seven governors who led other chieftains of the party to hold a parallel convention last Saturday in Abuja. They were joined by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, believed to be promoting the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) which was registered last month.
The government may unleash the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on them. The anti-graft agency is set to scrutinise the financial books of the seven governors.
The move, Daily Sun gathered, is in connection with their persistent opposition to the leadership of the PDP, President Goodluck Jonathan and last Saturday’s coup in Abuja where a parallel convention was held by the seven governors. The parallel convention held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, appeared to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

SENATE PANEL DECRIES HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE AT EFCC

THE Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Victor Rampyal Lar, who represents Plateau South, Thursday warned against the large number of policemen in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to him, 700 of about 1,250 members of staff at the EFCC are policemen.
He said: “What that also means is that as it is now, the policemen take their pay from the Police Force and also take allowances from the EFCC.” This, he noted, is against the law.
They, according to him, have blocked or stagnated graduates that were trained and employed as cadets for the commission because right now, all the heads of departments at EFCC are policemen. This, he noted, has affected the cadets’ promotions and opportunities.

FG TO MERGE EFCC, ICPC

The Federal Government has approved the merging of its two anti-graft agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.

The merger of the two commissions comes as part of the government’s decision to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye-led Presidential Committee on the rationalisation and Restructuring of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies.

This is contained in the report of the review committee on the White Paper chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan, obtained by our correspondent on Monday.

35 PERCENT OF EFCC BUDGET SPENT TO INVESTIGATE IBORI

A bout 35 percent of N15 billion annual budget of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC was spent by the United Kingdom to investigate money laundering allegations against former Delta governor, James Onanefe Ibori.

This revelation was made by a senior lawyer and private prosecutor for the EFCC, Chief Godwin Obla, in an interview with our correspondent.

Obla, who regretted the poor funding of the anticorruption agency, in the face of high expectations from the public, drew parallels between the commitment of the UK government in fighting money laundering offences as exemplified in the huge budget it expended in securing Ibori’s conviction – and the perceived inadequate funding of the commission by the Federal Government.

EFCC TRACES N1.1B PENSION CASH TO WOMAN ACCOUNTANT

There seems to be no end to the Police Pension fund scandal.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday that about N1, 141, 309, 080.25 has been traced to a chief accountant in the Police Pension Office, Mrs. Uzoma Cyril Attang.

The fraud was allegedly perpetrated through seven companies. About 20 assets have been traced to her.

The suspect will be arraigned today before Justice Hussain Baba of the FCT High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

She is facing trial alongside six others, including a suspended Permanent Secretary, Atiku Abubakar Kigo, Esai Dangabar, Ahmed Inuwa Wada, Mrs Veronica Ulonma Onyegbula, Sani Habila Zira, and Christian Madubuke.

The other six suspects were arraigned before Justice Abubakar Talba on January 28, but there are indications that all pension fraud cases may have been withdrawn from Justice Talba.

THIRD TERM FUND: ANTI-GRAFT AGENCIES TO QUIZ EL-RUFAI

THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have started comparing notes, preparatory to a possible arrest of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rafai, over statements credited to him about the sharing of money meant to prosecute the alleged third term bid of former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.

Sources said in Abuja, on Sunday, that the anti-graft agencies were interested in el- Rufai’s claim that he knew the treasurer of the alleged third term project.

The former minister had, in an interview on the African Independent Television(AIT) programme, Focus Nigeria, said he was part of those who shared the money.

REPS MOVE TO UNRAVEL STATUS OF N2TR ASSETS SEIZED BY EFCC

A CLEAR picture of the status of over N2 trillion assets seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to emerge as the House of Representatives has mandated a committee to carry out a thorough investigation into property confiscated by the anti-graft agency.

The House, which tasked the Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes to conclude the assignment within two weeks, adopted a motion on the matter introduced by Toby Okechukwu and 15 other members who expressed the need for proper management of the assets.

Leading the debate on the motion, Okechukwu informed the parliament that the EFCC had between 2003 and 2010 confiscated over 200 mansions estimated to be over N2 trillion through 46 forfeiture court orders.

EFCC PRESS RELEASE: BANKER BAGS 9 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR STEALING N35M

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on February 19, 2013, sentenced a former banker, Vera Ogbonna Akanni to nine (9) years imprisonment for defrauding her bank customers various sums of money to the tune of  N35,402,440.75 (Thirty-Five Million, Four Hundred and Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty Naira, Seventy Five kobo only). The convict was prosecuted on an eight (8) count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing by fraudulent conversion.



Prior to her sentencing, defence counsel, Yinka Oyeniji, drew the attention of the court to an affidavit of means placed before the court on February 17, 2013. Besides, Justice Onigbanjo asked the prosecution counsel, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, if the convict had any previous records of conviction.

EFCC OPERATIVES PROTEST OVER ALLOWANCES, PROMOTIONS

Some operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have protested the non-payment of allowances and wrongful deductions.

The staff, who describe themselves as Regular operatives (detectives that are not police officers), in a petition to the Chairman of the Commission Ibrahim Lamorde, claimed that the management has failed to pay them their 2012 hazard and incentives allowances.

They also alluded to a fraudulent deduction of 2011 upfront allowances paid by the past administration as well as lack of promotion.

The petitions claims: “the 2012 hazard and incentives allowances were not paid to the staff of the commission based on the claims that the two allowances were used to upset the 2011 upfront allowances paid to the commission by the past administration, which is fraudulent because up till now there is no explanation from management with regards to how the deducted money was retired to the Federation Account.”

HOW EX-SENATORIAL CONTENDER POSES AS EFCC BOSS, TRIES TO DEFRAUD ABIA FIRST LADY

 …Suspect lures victims with Jonathan, Obasanjo, Dangote’s fake pictures…

Everyday, hotels receive guests of different sorts, some with genuine business and personal purposes and others with criminal  intentions. It is, however, difficult to differentiate between guests who visit in exotic cars, with  lots of money to dole out in the course of their stay, from  the genuine ones .

Remember Cynthia Osokogu? The only daughter of a retired general who was lured on facebook from Nasarawa to Lagos, only to be murdered by her  supposed  friends? That  incident  happened in a hotel around Amuwo Odofin local government area of Lagos.

EFCC NABS 20 SUSPECTED YAHOO-YAHOO BOYS IN BENIN

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested 20 suspected internet fraudsters. The arrest, said to have been carried out in a joint operation with officers of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, followed intelligence report on their activities.

They were nabbed in a surprise raid on their cyber office tucked in an old building located on Siluko Road, Benin City.

EFCC REARRESTS PENSION THIEF YAKUBU YUSUFU

A self-confessed police pension thief,  Yakubu Yusuf, was yesterday re-arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). 

Justice Abubakar Talba of an Abuja High Court had, in a judgement he delivered this Monday, freed Yusuf by asking him to pay N750, 000 fine or spend two years in jail after he admitted that he had embezzled N32.8 billion.

 As at the time of filing this report, the convicted former director of pension in the Police Affairs Ministry was still being held in the EFCC custody in Abuja and will be arraigned today before a Federal High Court in Abuja  on a fresh charge of stealing N300million.