EFCC Press Release : N15B Transcorp Fraud: EFCC Presents Three More Witnesses

The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, October 23, 2013, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that three more witnesses will be presented in the trial of top executives of Transnational Corporation, TRANSCORP, Plc.

The officials who are being prosecuted before Justice S.C. Chukwu are Thomas Iseghohi, Group Managing Director, Muhammed Buba, Company Secretary and Mike Okoli, Deputy General Manager on a thirty two count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, money laundering and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of Fifteen Billion Naira.

The trio were arraigned on Wednesday May 27, 2009. They were alleged to have between July 2007 and March 2009, while acting in their official capacities defrauded the corporation through issuance of sham contracts, payment of legal fees, consultancy fees, professional fees, adverts and public relations involving several billions of naira.

At the resume hearing, Sylvester Ogbelu, prosecution counsel, led Mr. Max Ogah, the third prosecution witness who testified before the court during cross examination, that he never have evidence of performance for those services that was paid for.

The answer was sequel to a question whether Ogah had any evidence of payment by Transcorp to communication companies for their services and whether it was inflated.

He further said “over my twenty years as a chartered accountant there are criteria and standard that is followed when billing, if it is necessary and reasonable for the benefit of the company. To me some of the expenses we paid were not part of that question; I never have evidence of performance for those services that were paid”.

When the EFCC counsel informed the court of his motion dated July 25, 2013, to present three more witnesses, J.N. Ogwunu, defense counsel to the second accused person objected to the motion as he argued that the prayers in the motion papers were not supported by the evidences in the application and ask the Court to reject the application.

Justice Chukwu granted the application but told the prosecution to avoid delay in the interest of justice. He, however, adjourned the case to November 11, 2011 for continuation of hearing.

 

 Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media and Publicity

23^rd October, 2013

 

EFCC ALERT!

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) wish to notify members of the public about the activities of a syndicate of fraudsters that have been circulating fake EFCC invitation letters to some heads of agencies of government purporting that the letters emanated from the Commission in respect of petitions against them.

One such letter sent to the National Engineering Design and Development Institute in Anambra State and entitled, Investigation Activities: Letter of investigation reads thus:

“Acting on the petition against you and after preliminary investigation conducted by our operatives, and the need to invite you to the Commission’s Abuja office for a chat becomes imperative (sic)

“Your are advice(sic) to call the Principal Detective Superintendent(PDS) Adeniyi in charge of this number for information, time and date of your appointment immediately you receive this letter. Failure to comply, the commission will assume you are already on the run while a manhunt will commence out rightly” (sic).

Another letter with exactly the same wording was also sent to the Chief Medical Director of a Teaching Hospital in Delta state only that the name of the supposed officer he was asked to contact and the telephone number were changed.

The similarity between these letters and many others that have come to the attention of the Commission clearly establish that this is the handiwork of a particular syndicate out to defraud unsuspecting chief executives of government agencies.

Their targets are heads of government agencies and ministries in obscure locations, far removed from the cities where the EFCC offices are located.  

The Commission wishes to advise members of the public to discountenance any invitation letter purportedly emanating from the EFCC that contains a personal telephone number of an individual. No authentic EFCC invitation letters bears the telephone number of an operative.

Also, members of the public should ignore any letter purportedly from the Commission that requires them to call anybody to discuss time and date of an appointment. An authentic EFCC letter of invitation would unambiguously state the date and time an invitee is expected to report and the full name of the officer he is to report to.

In addition, interrogations are only conducted in EFCC offices. Addresses of all EFCC offices are available on the Commission’s website (www.efccnigeria.org).

It is equally important that members of the public take cognizance of the eagle in the logo of the Commission. What we have is a live picture of an eagle and not an artist impression as contained in the fake letter heads of the fraudster. Moreover, the ill-tempered and threatening language of the scammers should be sufficient alert any one as no responsible agency of government would couch official correspond in such language.

Finally, members of the public may take the extra steps of verifying the authenticity of any invitation letters purportedly from the EFCC by contacting the Director, Internal Affairs Department at Block C, EFCC headquarters, 5 Fomela Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, or call any of these numbers: 097831798, 097831799, 08036076316, 08191534236 and 09-4604628 or send an email to: dia@efccnigeria.org. They could as well send a message through the EFCC facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Official-EFCC/509762239046271.

Wilson Uwujaren

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

23^rd October, 2013

Drug War: NDLEA, Lamboginny march against drug abuse

BY Emeka Ibemere

Come Saturday November 2, Nollywood family, their kinsmen from the music community, their comedian brothers and sisters, including celebrities across Nigeria, will queue behind Yinka Lawanson, a.k.a; Lamboginny in a proposed One Million Man March against drug abuse and trafficking in Lagos State.

 The event is being packaged by Lawanson in conjunction with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in their fight against drug trafficking and abuse among the youths.

Also expected to march along Lamboginny, the NDLEA, the entertainment personalities are the Nigerian Army, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, the Nigeria Navy, NN, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, the Airforce, Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, the Nigeria Immigration, Nigerian Prison Service and Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC

and other Para-military organizations across the country.

The millennium-march is expected to start from Obalende LCDA, in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. 

Lawanson popularly called Lamboginny is the NDLEA ambassador and is packaging the one million man march throughout the whole country.

 The essence of bringing key celebrities, actors, musicians, comedians, and the likes was the initiative of Lamboginny whose philosophy of reformation tint towards using popular faces who command lots of followers from their youth- fans to bring the gospel of truth about dangers of illicit drugs to these endangered Nigerians.  Last week at Jevinik Restaurant on Isaac John Street Ikeja GRA, Lagos during the media briefing to kick start the event, the celeb at the venue of the programme showed that the march is expected to be one grand occasion.

Leading the pack of celebrities on that day were Yinka Lawanson, also known as Lamboginny, Yemi Sax, Skuk, Laide Bakare, Beverly Ada Osu, the Nigerian BBA ‘bad girl’, Micheal Bonny Bassey Sierra-Leonean, BBA, representative, Adeyemi Adeosun (Yemisas), UN peace Awareness, Micheal Okechukwu, (Ruggedman), and others.

On the other side were Mitchell Ofoyeju, who represented the NDLEA boss, Ahmed Giade, Nigerian Army barrack youth foundation, Prince McDonald Otoba, Adio Christopher, Okpo Titus, Mr Igwe, Mefor Chibuzor, Lagos State Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC and other representatives from the police and the Army. Others who have indicated their interest to support the march are

 Speaking at the media briefing, Lamboginny said after due consultations with his partners in the industry, he decided to take the bull by its horn to organise the programme as a sure means of creating awareness concerning the inherent dangers in drug abuse and trafficking among the youths of the country.

According to him, the event is kicking off first in Lagos and after that the Abuja part of the march will take place before moving to Port-Harcourt, Capital of Rivers State and other states of the federation.

Lamboginny disclosed that the choice of Obalende was a result of the fact that Obalende is the boiling point of Lagos State.

He explained that the choice of the city indicates that everything usually starts from Obalende which serves as heart of Lagos. According to him, the event will kick off by 8am from Obalende.

The March is supported by Obalende Community Development Association. He said the march will move from there to Awolowo –way before belting at Tinubu Square where lectures would be delivered by guest lecturers. The march will be transmitted live on google+.

Other personalities expected to grace the march are top Nigeria personnel, Celebrities and different security sectors will be present at the walk. List of Personnel and Guest Speakers includes the D.G. NDLEA, Femi Ajayi, Alibaba, former Diamond Bank’s Head Corporate Communications, Charles Udoh, Joke silver

 Olisa beat Fm, Osita Iheme a.k.a Pawpaw

- CEO Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, CEO Nigezie, Kwame, Yaw of wazobia FM, and the Official Dj is Dj Jimmy Jatt. Other celebrities supporting the event also includes, Olumide, Yemisax, Ruggedman Damilola Adegbite, Mbryo, Denrele (V.J), Kaffy (Dance queen), Yemi Alade

- Kennis Music All Star General pype, Artquake, illami, Akio, TEKNO MILES, OD WOODS, Terry Apala, Kome, Owen Gee (comedian), Mc ice –water, AKPORORO, Laide Bakare, jhybo, Cynthia Morgan, Anny, Halima Abubakar, Gabriel Afolayan and Internationally Supported by the American Consulate and Community.

 The media has indicated their interest to support the event, among them are, Soundcity, Galaxy TV, Acada Magazine, Al jazeera News (international), MusicGlob, Nigeria Tribune, Reel Radio (online Radio sponsor), My celebrity and I (blog), DYNAMIX TV, Shybellmedia, WapTv, Mitv Channels TV, NTA, OloriSupergal, Sahara TV, Nigezie, Breeze On TV, Lee Magazine and Emgagegospel, while refreshment will be provided by Jevinik Restaurant.

Mitchell Ofoyeju who represented the Chairman of the NDLEA disclosed that the agency was of great joy that such event is being championed by the agency’s anti-drug Ambassador, Yinka Lawanson.

According to Ofoyeju, the initiative was a laudable and great coming from Lamboginny and said the agency appreciated the project and called for the support of the general public.

“This briefing is designed to create the much need awareness and generate massive support in Nigeria for the public rally slated for November 2, 2013 in Lagos. The take off point is Obalende, while the terminal destination is Tinubu Square”,

Ofoyeju added. “The ultimate aim of this national campaign is to sensitize Nigerians on the threat posed by drug crop cultivation, production and smuggling.”  Ofoyeju who represented his chairman explained that the programme was to alert members of the public of their important civic responsibilities in the fight against drug production, trafficking and use.

He said. “Interestingly, this is in line with the mandate of the NDLEA. Section 3, subsections 1 (n), of the NDLEA Act, specifically states that the agency shall take such measures that may ensure the elimination and prevention of the root causes of the problems of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances”. In explaining the choice of Lamboginny as anti-drug abuse ambassador, Ofoyeju said it was a way of identifying credible Nigerians with burning passion to advance the campaign against drug abuse and peddling. “Lamboginny has demonstrated that being an anti-drug abuse Ambassador is not in words and title but in deeds,” Ofoyeju stated.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, besides arrests and prosecution of persons involved in drug trafficking, the Agency is also saddled with the responsibility of public enlightenment on substance abuse as well as care for persons with drug abuse problem. The campaign message is- know Your Neighbour; Say no to Drugs”. Ofoyeju said the message must be widely propagated on multiple platforms adding that the agency is effectively engaging the entertainment community.

He appealed to the stakeholders to join the NDLEA and Lamboginny in making the message of Say No to Drugs a household slogan.

Ofoyeju said the message should go viral on the social networks but most importantly to bring about a positive change in the attitude of Nigerians especially the youths who are the most vulnerable group.

“Your contribution will go a long way in liberating that man or woman in the valley of indecision contemplating drug abuse”. He added.

“The agency has also made arrangement for Drug Abuse Counselling Units across the 36 states and the federal capital Territory FCT Abuja. This will help in addressing the divergent needs of members of the public on how to stay away from substance abuse”. NDLEA spokesman disclosed that drug trafficking and abuse have destroyed many people especially the youths with promising careers and destinies. He added that most crimes are perpetrated under the influence of drugs. “It’s sad that many people are in prison custody both within and outside the country on account of drug trafficking. Let us therefore deploy every resource at our disposal in preventing illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse”, he advised.

“I also wish to use this opportunity to solicit the support of government at all levels, embassies, corporate organizations, non-governmental organizations and individuals towards a successful rally. We deeply appreciate all sponsors and welcome new ones as the date of the mass rally draws nearer. The agency will continue to work towards a peaceful and safe society”.

Ofoyeju also thanked the Media for their wonderful support of the agency and said the vibrant Nigerian media has demonstrated their zeal in building a society free of drugs.

It will be recalled that the NDLEA appointed Nollywood star Stella Damasus and music act, Lawanson Yinka, Lamboginny, as anti-drug abuse/trafficking ambassadors because of their proven track records. The duo was officially unveiled as the new ambassadors at the NDLEA headquarters in Lagos. Director General of the agency, Dr. Femi Ajayi, said Stella and Lamboginny were selected for the honour due to their outstanding positive impacts on youths and the society at large. Lamboginny, Say No To Crime project, he said, was worthy of emulation while Stella has been inspiring the youths through her many activities and projects.

The Director General of NDLEA, Otunba Femi Ajayi, who made the presentation of certificates to the new ambassadors, noted that they are active champions of efforts against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.

In their separate reactions, after the presentation of certificates to them by the agency, Stella and Lamboginny promised not to relent on their efforts, adding that they would do all within their reach to assist the agency and its officials in achieving their primary objectives.

The One Million March event is one of those good things Lamboginny has promised to do for the agency coming few months after his appointment.

Are Churches under attack in Nigeria?

Off recent, Churches have been on the receiving end of the state governments on many fronts ranging from environmental pollution to illegal construction of their church buildings on official lands belonging to the governments without approvals, Emeka Ibemere, reports.

It was like a drama on Sunday Oct. 6, 2013, at the popular Ijesha Bus Stop on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos State.

The worshipers

had already thronged to the church premises for that day’s service and suddenly, men of the Nigerian police, armed to the teeth, the Kick against Indiscipline officials and other officials from the Lagos State Environmental Agency stormed the church.

The ferocious prayers of worshipers, who had gathered at the church before the demolition sealing off of the church could not stop the government officials from sealing off the edifice. Before you could say, A-M-E-N, there was padlock on both entrance of the church doors and the mouth of the worshipers, kept agap.

 Pastor Lazarus Muoka, the founder and General over sear of the popular church in Nigeria, Lord's Chosen and Charismatic Revival Church, has acted in the firmament of the ‘Holy Spirit’ until the Lagos State Government sealed off the Headquarters of the church in a move that surprised his members.

What were their sins? The State claimed that the church has defaced the face of Lagos State. They were also alleged to have constituted environmental nuisance to its environment in the last decade.
The church, was shut down by the officials of the Ministry of the Environment and prevented thousands of worshipers from having their Sunday service that morning.

 Mr. Tunji Bello, the Commissioner for the Environment explained why the Church was shut down in this way.

“The Church does not have proper sanitary system and they discharge their wastes into the canal. Most of their members trade on the expressway and we don’t want that” he said.

According to the commissioner, the church had a habit of burning its refuse inside the church, an action that is against the environmental and sanitation law of the state.

 He said the church will be re-opened only after it builds new toilets, build a sewage septic tank for the treatment of waste water, remove all illegal attachments built on drainage channels, keep the environment clean and ensure that none of its members trade on the expressway.

On daily basis, massive trading is observed under the Ijesha flyover along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway by the members of the Lord Chosen and other traders who catch on the business that goes on near the church to cause traffic and other large scale environmental degradation arising from the activities of the traders.
The Church was also accused of building a substantial part of its auditorium on the Odo Asimawu drainage channel thus impeding the flow of storm water, as well as inhibiting effective performance of the channel.
The Church was also accused of building all its toilets on the canal and deliberately discharging the raw human waste into the canal causing dangerous odour around the area.
The commissioner further said its decision to shut down the Church’s headquarters was to prevent an outbreak of epidemic in the area and protect the lives of the worshipers.
Bello commended the cooperation and non resistance of the Church authorities even as he assured that government would continue to promote a cleaner, habitable and conducive environment to residents irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliation in other to attain a cleaner and sustainable environment in the state.

In Enugu State, the same environmental reasons were giving for the demolition of a 17 years old church in the state. Enugu State government allegedly demolished the contentious magnificent multi-million naira regional headquarters of the Mountain of Fire and Miracle Ministry Church, Enugu, after a prolonged legal battle.

Our correspondent reports that the operatives belonging to the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority ministry and armed to the teeth mobile policemen stormed the church premises and perfected their demolition exercise after arriving at the church premises at about 9 am on that fateful day.

While the worshippers were in the church observing their prayer session, bulldozers were busy pulling down the structures.

It was reported that the over 5,000 capacity church building which had been occupied by the church in the last 17 years was the first branch of the church in the South-East and South-South geo-political zones of Nigeria. The church positioned few metres away from the Zik Avenue bridge on Uwani had become a subject of contention since the incumbent Governor, Sullivan Chime led administration.

Government had said that the church building was not only wrongly sited but constituted a barrier to the flow of Asata River.

Last year, government moved to demolish the structure but was prevented from doing so by leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and other church leaders in the state who asked government to relocate the church to an alternative place, if it felt strongly that the premises was wrongly occupied.

The church had equally gone to court to stop the demolition at that time.  Later, government was reported to have given the church 20 plots of land at Emeka Ebila Road for their relocation, but the church felt it should be backed by cash to enable it rebuild the multi-million naira church, especially as it allegedly had necessary documents and approvals backing its ownership of the land and the church building.

Worshippers at the church had refused to leave the church hall when the officials asked them to move out, saying they would prefer to be buried with the collapsing walls, but had reneged when they discovered that the demolishers were determined.

Addressing newsmen at the church premises, Pastor Kennedy Ude Ogaranya, regional pastor of the church, described the exercise as an abomination and as a rape of justice.

 “Actually, this is a rape of justice. This case has been in court since September last year. We are yet to get justice. The judge is yet to deliver judgement on this. This is totally contempt of court; this is an abomination”, he declared.

“The land they gave to us was in dispute between the Ngwo people and the Amechi people, so they could not allow us to move into the land. I wrote to the Inspector General of Police and the Enugu State Commissioner for land. They asked the Ngwo people to keep off and just this Saturday, we had access into the land for the first time; we were able to put our pillars and clear the land.

“So, we are yet to enter the land properly and Monday, they came here and gave us three days notice, to quit this place in three days. You gave us a land on Saturday and today being Thursday, you are pulling down the church of God. It is to us a rape of justice against the Body of Christ.

“All our materials are inside, musical instruments, seats, worship items, all our properties. How can we remove them when the two bulldozers are already pulling the structure down?

“Yesterday, I went to the office of the Attorney General of the State, the Commissioner for land, have them letters, asking them to give us more time that we just moved into the land on Saturday, but all our pleas fell on deaf ears. We entered that land on Saturday; it was on Friday that the commissioner spoke to Ngwo people to stay clear of the land.”

But justifying the demolition, the commissioner for ECTDA, Engr. Iyke Ugwegede said that it was done in respect of development control activities of the authority.

Ugwegede said the structure was about 2100 square metres plan size erected on two plots of land located with a total area of approximately 2000 sq metres, stressing that the structure was illegal and unapproved as an application for approval was considered and rejected in March 2012.

He gave reasons for the rejection of the application to include the church’s overbuilding of the property with more than 100% built upon encroaching into stream and road reserves; construction outside the purpose clause of the property as the area was designated for commercial development and not for institutional use.

The government also said there is evidence of structural inability as there was palpable evidence of failure of some of the reinforced concrete elements of the northern end of the basement area of the structure, adding that it had given copious opportunity to the church to make good the illegality ever since then.

The commissioner, also hinted that it had given the church an alternative land allocation of more than 400sq metres, saying government believes in protection of all and sundry in the state especially with the un-seasonal rains and floods of this year resulting in the collapses of three buildings within the capital territory and the loss of one woman and unborn child.

“No responsible government will stand and permit a predictable catastrophe to befall its people before taking appropriate steps.

The state government had also identified other structures which must be brought down to prevent any unsafe condition or illegal structure from remaining,” he stated.

EFCC Press Release: N7m Fraud: EFCC Arraigns Former National Population Commissioner

A former Commissioner representing Imo State at the National Population Commission, NPC, Mr. Joe Ndu was today, October 23, 2013, arraigned before the Federal High Court, Owerri on one count charge for allegedly converting and selling a property belong to the Federal Government for N7million.

The charge reads, “that you Joe C. Ndu, on or about the 29^th December 2011 in Owerri, Imo State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Seven Million Naira under the false pretence that you (and two others) have the mandate and consent of the National Population Commission to sell National Population Commission landed Property located at Plot 5028 Commercial Area, New Owerri, Owerri, Imo State, covered by statutory certificate of Occupancy dated 27^th May 2011, registered as No. 90 page 90 volume of Lands Registry, Imo State which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under section 1(13)of the same Act.

 

The said plot was allegedly allocated to the Commission to build its Owerri office by the Imo state government but by the time the Commission was ready to develop the property, it was discovered that someone had taken over the land.

A research at the Lands Registry Owerri revealed that the land had been transferred by Joe C. Ndu, the suspect via Power of Attorney dated 29^th December, 2011, to one Emmanuel C. Eke. The sale of the property was conducted after Ndu had completed his tenure as the Federal Commissioner representing Imo State at the National Population Commission.

When the charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecuting counsel Mainforce Adaka Ekwu then asked the court to fix a date for trial but counsel to the accused, N. A. Nnawuchi (SAN) urged the court to grant bail to his client.

However, Justice S.M. Shuiabu asked the defence counsel to present formal bail application and remanded the accused in EFCC custody pending the hearing of the bail application.

The case was adjourned to October 30, 2013.

 

 Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media and Publicity

23^rd October, 2013

EFCC Press Statement on Corruption Ranking: A Phantom Survey, Ludicrous Conclusion----------EFCC

 

The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has been drawn to a news publication on page 8 of Thisday and page 4 of Leadership Newspapers of October 22, 2013 that lumps the Commission among agencies of government touted as highly corrupt. The report was said to be the result of a 2013 National Crime Victimization and Safety Survey conducted by CLEEN Foundation in collaboration with the MacArthur Foundation.

Ordinarily such a report ought not to be dignified with as response save for the fact that it is misleading and impinges the integrity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Without mincing words, the Commission considers its integrity as a core value and has toiled relentlessly to sustain its reputation as an effective law enforcement organisation with zero tolerance for corruption. It will therefore not fold its hand while some arm chair researchers desperate to justify a grant, use the result of a spurious survey to cast aspersion on its integrity.

While not trying to speak for other agencies, the EFCC challenges the authors of the survey to publish the parameters used in the exercise to arrive at the sweeping conclusion and stigmatisation of an agency as corrupt. If we may ask, how many people in  Borno, Ekiti , or Cross River states have come in contact with operatives of the EFCC to be able to make informed opinion as to whether they are corrupt or not? Which towns, local governments and wards did the survey cover? What questions were asked; what response evaluation methods were used?

 For a country with a population of over 160million, it is the height of irresponsibility for some NGO to sit in their cosy offices, design survey questionnaires and administer to their friends and cronies only to publish the result as a national aggregate of opinion.

EFCC is proud of its record when it comes to integrity. The mere fact that operatives of the Commission cannot easily be induced is one reason why cases of impersonation of operatives of the Commission by fraudsters are rampant. While some of these fraudsters have been arrested, prosecuted and convicted, others are still on the prowl.

A few examples will suffice: One Muhammad El Ameen Al Haleel, who was prosecuted by the EFCC and sentenced to three years imprisonment for obtaining N60million from Dr. Shuaibu Sani Teidi, a governorship aspirant in Kogi State with a promise to facilitate a meeting between him and the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammad Namadi Sambo, to ensure that he, Teidi, got nominated as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Al-Haleel also promised to give N10 million of the money to the then EFCC Chairman, Mrs. Farida Waziri to get clearance for Teidi from the EFCC to enable him stand for the 2011 election.

Teidi, a former Director, Pension Administration in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation  who is currently in Kuje prison, is  being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside 39 others persons over a N4.56 billion Pension scam.

Similarly, a former Kogi Central Senatorial candidate, Alhaji Abdulazeez Bello- Azeez, was arrested at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers, Lagos, for allegedly impersonating the Director of Operations of the EFCC, Mr. Olaolu Adegbite.

He was at the hotel premises to further an advance fee fraud scheme targeted at Mrs Mercy Orji, wife of the Abia State Governor, Mr. Theodore Orji. He reportedly posed as the EFCC’s Director of Operations with a fake identity card bearing the name of E. Adegbite. Bello was arrested on January 27, 2013 while negotiating with some aides of his would-be victim.

A few weeks ago, a self styled Assistant Commissioner of Police, a Dr.  Kunle Adeshola who has been parading himself as an operative of the Commission and defrauding officials of government agencies under the guise of conducting phantom investigations was arrested. He was nabbed on Thursday October 10, 2013 in the course of trying to brow beat the Chief Executive of a federal government agency to write a letter supposedly to the Inspector General of Police to second him to the agency.

This is just a tip of the iceberg of how fraudsters have and still use the name of the Commission to obtain gratification from members of the public who are all too willing to pay because of their morbid fear of the agency.

Were these cases not reported and the fraudsters arrested and prosecuted, the impression would have been the EFCC is a very corrupt anti-graft agency that has agents out there that liaise with the corrupt elements for settlement.

The EFCC does not treat matters of discipline and integrity of its officers with levity. There is a full fledged directorate of the agency, the Department of Internal Affairs that is saddled with the responsibility for ensuring that staff of the agency abide  by it code of ethics. Members of the public who claim to have encountered any officer of the Commission that requested for gratification can report such matters to the department and be rest assured that such an officer will not be spared. Such complaints can be forwarded to the Director, Internal Affairs Department at Block C, EFCC headquarters, 5 Fomela Street, off Adetokunbo Ademola crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, or call any of these numbers: 097831798, 097831799, 08036076316, 08191534236 and 09-4604628 or send an email to: dia@efccnigeria.org. They could as well send a message through the EFCC facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Official-EFCC/509762239046271.

More importantly, It is not longer sufficient for any faceless person to claim they have come in contact with some bribe-seeking operatives of the Commission, such claims must be justified by naming the operatives in question and the circumstance under which the gratifications were demanded and received, the objective being to clean up the system, if it requires cleaning.

 The question to ask therefore, what did any of these people who say they encountered cases of corruption in EFCC do to stem the tide? If they did not feel comfortable coming back to the EFCC with the details, did they pass on the information (and any evidence) to CLEEN and MacArthur Foundation to challenge the Commission with?

Until they do so, the Commission is of the opinion that the so-called National Crime Victimization and Safety Survey, at least the aspect concerning the EFCC, should be thrown into the waste bin, where it rightly belongs.

Wilson Uwujaren

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

22^nd October, 2013

 

WICKED! NAHCO officials stole items belonging to the Blind... Group threatens court action

Emeka Ibemere

This is not the best of times for the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB). For now, the group is in a state of disappointment and sadness over their fate.

Not because their conditions have degenerated beyond helplessness but for the fact that those who supposed to help them are now constituting and adding to their woes.

Mysterious workers at the National Aviation Handling Company have allegedly stolen imported white canes donated to the Group on arrival at the airport.

Last week, unknown criminals allegedly working at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, NAHCO shed, along Airport Road Ikeja, allegedly stole items belonging to the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NBA) in a most notorious manner.

 The ‘NAHCO rats’ as they are fondly known at the NAHCO, took away the items on arrival from where it was purchased at the MMIA without any trace of its whereabouts. On October 10, 2013, the Association in a media briefing cried over the mystery disappearance of the items which the group purchased through the charitable effort of the First Bank of Nigeria.

“On behalf of the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), I have the sad duty to announce that the white canes which were purchased through the generous sponsorship of First Bank of Nigeria, and other sponsors now seems to have disappeared and become untraceable”, Mr David Okon, President, Nigeria Association of the Blind stated in his Press Release.

According to the Association’s President, the group had planned to use the items, during the white cane day on 15 October, and afterwards distribute the items among the needy persons with visual impairments. But that couldn’t work out following the mysterious disappearance of the White Canes on arrival at the airport.

“We received notification that the canes which were ordered from abroad arrived on 14 September, 2013, since then, and despite our repeated visits to the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, PLC. (NAHCO), nobody seems to know where the canes are”, Okon added.

“We cannot understand how goods which were properly documented as having entered Nigeria are now somehow lost in the system.  We have been informed that all officially designated store locations have now been inspected and the whereabouts of the white canes is still unknown”. 

Okon disclosed that the Association believes that the items were still intact and hopes that there was no fraudulent game surrounding the circumstances leading to the disappearance of the items.

“We can only hope that there is no fraudulent reason why this is the case”, he reasoned.

He said the disappearance of the white Canes suggests the failed state status of the country that has neglected her citizenry including the ones with disabilities adding that the items was the sole effort of the Association in trying to help her members in the midst of difficult and for the items to get loss, is misleading and unfortunate.

“The NAB wishes to point out that this is a sad reflection on a country which has so far failed to provide adequately for its persons with disabilities.  It is perhaps symptomatic of the situation that the white cane, itself a symbol of our progress despite tremendous difficulties, has been mislaid or stolen, and is now unaccounted for”, Okon worried.

He disclosed that why the Association went public was to alert the people of Nigeria over the plight of the Group noting that the items were purchased with sponsors and donors money which they Association needs to give its account.

“The NAB wishes to make this public, because the white canes were purchased with money from sponsors, and we feel the need to account for such generosity”, he stated.  “Furthermore, the NAB owes its members a constitutional duty to defend their interests and seek to alleviate some of their difficulties.  These White Canes would have been used for that purpose, and the NAB therefore owes its members a duty of accountability”. 

Okon also said that the NAB is crying over the incident in order to draw the attention of the general public to the overall difficulty that plagues Nigerian citizens who are visually impaired and are thus more vulnerable and less able to access the services and amenities in Nigeria.

It’s on these sad grounds of event that the NAB are now calling on the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company to make every effort to locate their white canes as quickly as possible so that they could be transported to Nassarawa state for this year’s event which has started. Okon also appeals to all citizens to remember the visually impaired members of their community as they approach such an important day in the calendar of visual impairment persons in the world. They President of the Association urged all Nigerians as many as possible that would turn out in Nassarawa and other states to take part in the national and state activities marking the white cane day not to miss to celebration. He decried the lack of accountability which has become the scourge of Nigeria and urged the federal and the states governments that haven’t yet done so to implement policies designed to alleviate the difficulties of disabled people under their jurisdiction. He thanked the sponsors and well-wishers who have continued to support the cause of visual impaired persons. He prayed for many of the visually challenged persons to join the Association so that the disabled people are no longer sidelined in the country. Speaking to our correspondent on phone while in Nassarawa State Okon said that the items haven’t been recovered a month after its disappearance.

According to him, when he met with Mr Henry Okon, the General Manager, Courier of the NAHCO, that the manager told him that there was nothing they could do and that they have done everything they could to trace the items but couldn’t find it.

He said the Emirate Airline that brought the items to Nigeria from Canada said they delivered the items as at when due and couldn’t understand what the NAHCO is saying over the stolen items.

Equally, Mr David Okon also disclosed that the highway bill of N5, 5 000, was paid to Universal Parcel Services (UPs), and that the whole documents suggesting the delivery and arrival of the items were done but that NAHCO is saying another thing. According to the NBA President, the items were 250 pieces of white canes in six cartons and all of them developed wings on arrival. Speaking further, he stated that the purchase, ferrying and clearing of the items cost over N900, 000. Meanwhile, the event has been postponed to yesterday, (Thursday), because of the disappearance of the items.

1.  He said they ought to have used it on Tuesday but that the whole essence of the white cane event was the white canes itself adding that such an event couldn’t be celebrated without the white canes. Okon said the sad development has forced them to start looking where to buy other white canes which he said are very exorbitant in Nigeria.  On what the Association is planning to do, he said the Association might resort to sue NAHCO, and its subsidiaries in court concerning the mystery disappearance of the items. Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) was registered and incorporated under Section 5(II) of the Land Perpetual Act. Chap. 98 of the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1968. The association is a member of the National Advisory Council for the Blind (NNACB). NAB also exists as a cluster body under The Joint National Association of Persons Living with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and a member of African Union of the Blind (AFUB) and the World Blind Union (WBU). The association has had five presidents since its formation namely: Mr Ajanaku, Alhaji Gambo Yunusa, Mr. Steven Ayagwa Mr. Iliya Bakdi and Mr. David U.Okon. Their membership cuts across the 36 states of the federation including FCT and over 250,000 blind and partially sighted persons, focusing on different areas of development, all of whom work to support a diverse range of membership communities across the nation. The Mission of the Association is to promote the rights of the blind and partially sighted persons in Nigeria through advocacy, capacity building and partnership while her vision is a world of total inclusion and equal opportunities for all. The Association’s core values are dedication, integrity and team spirit