At the resumed hearing on Monday, the EFCC counsel, Seidu Atteh, informed the court that the prosecution was closing its case after calling 16 witnesses who testified against the defendants
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Until he was pardoned by the Nigerian government, it is on record that former Bayelsa State governor, DSP Alamieyeseigha was the first former state governor to be successfully prosecuted by the EFCC. Over N3billion which includes the proceeds realized from the sale of his properties has been returned to Bayelsa State. These properties include Chelsea Hotel, Abuja. Other real estate investment of Alamieyeseigha which accounts were frozen by the Commission include:
1. Plot 26 Dalhatu Close, Abacha Estate, Ikoyi
NAN also reports that the defendants had been previously arraigned on October 10, 2012 on a nine-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of fake documents
One of the counts reads: “That you Chidi Alozie and another (now at large) between January 2014 and February 2014 at Port Harcourt within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud did conspire among yourself to commit felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence by disguising as a staff of Agip Oil Company and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act
The section states: “Any officer who wilfully absents for twenty one (21) consecutive days shall be guilty of the offence of desertion and shall be dismissed from the Commission as a deserter
One of the counts reads: “That you Obiejogo Raymond Azuka on or about the 11th day of August 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, intentionally induced the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to employ you as Account Officer II by presenting a forged reference letter titled “Reference on Obiejogo Raymond Azuka” purportedly made by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala recommending you as a worthy officer fit for employment and which act caused harm to the reputation of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320(b) and punishable under section 322 of the Penal Code CAP 532 LFN,1990
Festus Keyamo, the prosecuting counsel, told the court that Sylva fraudulently converted various sums of money belonging to Bayelsa State in an effort to conceal their illicit origins
One of the counts reads: “that you Mary Ozala, Nwokeke C. Chukwunonso, Shedrach Umeh (still at large), Uchenna Okpala (still at large) on or about the 7th day of August, 2013 at Ikeja within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud conspire to steal the sum of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) property of Capital Field Investment and Trust Limited. by hacking into an email account of the company’s investor, one Ronke Okewole and fraudulently instructing Capital Investment and Trust Limited to withdraw the sum of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) from Ronke Okewole’s account to credit the account of one Ezeigwe Chinenye Henrietta with Zenith Bank Plc. Account no. 2009811047″
The reasons for the establishment of the EFCC remains genuine and the case for the commission remains strong. However, the perceived use of the EFCC by the executive to muzzle or intimidate its real or perceived opponents into submission is a worrisome development that has diminished public confidence in the EFCC and raised questions about the government’s commitment to due process, accountability and transparency
After two years in court, the Judge ruled that there was no basis for the charges and consequently struck out the charges. He discharged Babalakin and other defendants. The court observed that the entire 27 charges did not contain any single charge that constituted an offence under the laws of Nigeria
Rather than allow them gain from the new government and nail senior officials of the Commission, a hurried disclaimer was designed to smear them and paint them as guilty. On Friday, the EFCC bought half-page space on two national daily newspapers, disclaiming Ibekaku and Nzekwe, a pastor, and a known non-compliant detective. The disclaimer announced that the two officers, who are in court over their forced exit from the organisation, are no longer in the service of the Commission
A police source said: “She married overseas and was brought to Nigeria by her husband. When she teamed up with Senator Nwobodo led gang of conmen, she made enough money in her first operation with them. She gave her husband N1 million out of the money to start a business, but he squandered it. This was the major reason she divorced him. She said her husband was not capable of taking care of her and the kids
He said the cadets, in the course of their training, received lectures from regulatory institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, NDIC, and the Pension Commission
“That you Mohammed Zahradeen Bello, Abdullahi Musa and Yusuf Baba sometime in February, 2012 in Abuja within the Judicial Division of the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja did conspire among yourselves to do an illegal act to wit; theft of a Right of Occupancy Number MISC 103986 Plot No 4057 belonging to Freelands Estate Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Law Cap. 532 LFN (1990) Abuja and punishable under Section 97 of the same law
They are: Muhammed Yau Gital, former Chief of Staff to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Bala Mohammed and Sani Abba, Deputy Director, Mass Housing at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA
But the prosecution counsel, S. H. Sa’ad, opposed their applications, citing the gravity of the alleged offence and the fact that the case had been adjourned several times because of the 2nd accused person’s failure to appear before the court
The accused persons were allegedly arrested in the Bonny waters, River State sometime in 2014 with 500,000 litres of stolen petroleum product suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil, popularly called diesel
The charge reads: “That you Oladepo Bamidele Osibeluwo being an employee of Topcare Nigeria Limited, Uyo, sometime in September 2011, within the Uyo Judicial Division, did steal the sum of Four Million, Six Hundred and Twenty Three Thousand, Six Hundred Naira only (N4,623, 600.00), being sales of drugs, property of Topcare Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence of stealing contrary to Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code CAP 38 Vol. II Laws of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria 2000
Accepted by the court as exhibits J and K, they showed suspicious transactions with respect to the supply of food items to the Government House and supply of books to schools in the state through the State Universal Basic Education Board during the period in question
The EFCC chairman observed that these flows relate principally to commercial transactions, tax evasion, criminal activities such as money laundering, drugs, arms and human trafficking, bribery, corruptions and abuse of office