NDLEA officers for training after 10years ....US Plans 27 training programms in 2014

Emeka Ibemere

Succour may have come the way of the financially handicapped national anti drug law agency of the oil rich Nigeria, the   National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and their operatives who have not gone on training in the last decade, following the paucity of funds that has crippled the agency’s activities.

 

The Federal Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of the federation in charge of the agency and the federal government have neglected the agency in terms of budgetary allocation meant for the running of the agency.

 

It was gathered that because of the poor funds allocation, the staffers of the agency had not gone for training and that there Jos training school, in Plateau State is like the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos.

 

Early August, while delivering his address at a business meeting of the Rotary Club of Lagos which took place in Ikoyi, Femi Ajayi, Director General of the NDLEA, said the problem of underfunding has continued to cripple the activities of the agency despite all powers granted to her to control drug abuse.

 “Despite the fact, that Section 41, of the NDLEA, Act, Cap N.30, empowers the agency and her officers to enter into any premises and conduct search without warrant in the course of their duties upon a reasonable suspicion of the commission of a drug offence as well as Sections 4 and 43 of the NDLEA Act that empower the agency to, on the respective approval of either the President or Attorney-General of the Federation, investigate anybody who appears to be living beyond his apparent source of income, the NDLEA has always been confronted with various challenges which include poor funding, inadequate equipment and poor staffing.

 In an interview with Daily Newswatch recently, the DG lamented over the poor funding of the agency and said the entire agency’s responsibilities have been affected.

“It is rather absurd that in a nation of about 160 million populations, the staff strength of NDLEA is still below 5,300 for the entire country with a lot of borders, legal and illegal entries, which have led to increase in criminality in the area of drug abuse,” he said.

  Ajayi noted that before now, Nigeria was just taken for a passage of drugs, but the NDLEA has discovered five different clandestine laboratories where drugs are being produced. According to him, in the last 30 years, Nigeria has moved from small player to major player in drug production and consumption.

“Nigeria is now known for trafficking in drugs and production of the substances, and unless more money is pumped into the agency, drug control would be compromised, the work force would be compromised while the future of the youth is put in jeopardy.

 “It is pertinent to point out that by the nature of her functions; NDLEA has the responsibility of safeguarding the health of Nigerians, contributing to maintenance of peace and security in the nation, as well as promoting and enhancing the country’s international image and integrity to attract support and investments. These have led to granting of special powers to the agency to enable her discharge her mandate,” Ajayi said.

Due to lack of training and retraining of the officers, the United States Government has offered to organize twenty-seven training courses for officers of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in 2014.

This was made known by Mr. Mark Huebschman, United States Deputy Chief, Counter-narcotics and Law Enforcement Division, Africa Command. The US envoy who spoke during a working visit to the Agency’s Headquarters on Shaw Road Ikoyi, Lagos, said that the training is part of United States assistance to Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking.

 

“The United States will fund twenty-seven (27) training courses for the NDLEA in 2014. This will cover senior leadership, middle cadre as well as tactical training. Our training advisor in Nigeria will work with the Agency in developing the training schedule. It is an elaborate training and we hope to enlist the support of willing international partners.” Mark stated.

 

Receiving the United States delegation, the Director General of the NDLEA Mr. Femi Ajayi thanked the United States Government for their continuous support for Nigeria’s counter-narcotics campaign.

 

According to the DG, “the threat of drug trafficking is increasing by the day. The discovery of five methamphetamine laboratories in the country is also disturbing. The fact that methamphetamine seizures are still being made at the airports is an indication that there might be more of such laboratories. This calls for greater collaboration among nations”.

 

Ajayi therefore appealed to the envoy to further assist the NDLEA in the area of advocacy.

 

“We are thankful for the scanners and technical support provided by your government to the Agency. Let me also seek your assistance in the area of advocacy. This will encourage more governments, institutions, donor organizations and individuals to partner with us in addressing the problem of illicit drugs. We are currently doing more with less resource”, Ajayi stated.

 

The US envoy was accompanied by Michael Burner, training advisor for West Africa. Others are, Amon Killeen and Ellen Kitt both of the US Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Counter-narcotics and Global Threats.

Ofoyeju Mitchell, Head, Public Affairs of the NDLEA stated that the programme would commence next year and praised the United State for their assistance.

 

It would recall that the NDLEA and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) signed a memorandum of understanding in 2012 to establish a vetted unit of 14 officers to exclusively work with DEA. The unit has begun operations.

Nigeria’s counter-narcotics policy derives from a 1998 National Drug Control Master Plan.

However, the NDLEA’s budget is inadequate to implement the plan. As at 2011, the government held NDLEA’s budget at its 2011 level of approximately $61 million. Of this, 0.02 percent, or approximately $140,497 is allocated for NDLEA staff training. Personnel costs account for 92.4 percent of the NDLEA’s budget, while one percent supports capital expenditures.

 

Despite NDLEA’s robust achievement in the last 23 years, Nigerian government funding for the Agency remains insufficient. In 2012, the United States facilitated the training of 30 NDLEA officers assigned to Nigeria’s four international airports to enhance detection of drug couriers, and donated an additional body scanner for MMIA; the NDLEA now has one scanner dedicated for arrivals and another for departures courtesy of the US.

The United States works closely with the NDLEA and other law enforcement agencies to strengthen capacity. The United States also promotes greater cooperation between the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA to improve interdiction at the vulnerable seaports and porous land borders.

 In 2012, the United States funded a counter-narcotics advisor and DEA established its elite vetted unit, both of which will help to improve the NDLEA’s ability to conduct complex cases. The United States facilitated the transfer of vessels and provided a wide range of maritime operational and small boat maintenance training to assist in building Nigeria’s maritime law enforcement capability.

Three weeks, the United States Jeffery Hawkins promised that US will continue to engage the Government of Nigeria to combat drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering, and other criminal issues. Counter Narcotics and Drug Enforcement Advisor

Barley a month ago, USA on Tuesday August 27, 2013 at the Conference room of the Agency’s Headquarters on Shaw Road Ikoyi, Lagos State, donated equipment to the NDLEA. United States Consul General, Lagos, Mr. Jeffery Hawkins described Nigeria as a great partner of the United States in drug control.

The US envoy spoke while presenting technical equipment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos, and said that the equipment would be used in the establishment of a Centre for intelligence sharing between the two countries.

“NDLEA is a great partner for the United States in drug control. The United States embarks on serious war against narcotics and we are proud to contribute in developing the capacity of the NDLEA through the establishment of a Centre for intelligence sharing” Hawkins stated.

Chairman of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade who received the items said that the country’s partnership with the United States has been very fruitful.

“The relationship between the United States Government and the Government of Nigeria has been characterized by similar gestures in the area of technical support. It is important to acknowledge your sustained determination to support Nigeria in winning the fight against notorious drug trafficking syndicates. This assistance to the Agency is highly treasured” Giade stated.

The NDLEA boss attributed the high performance of the Agency to the growing support and partnership it has with the United States. He stated:

“Our collaboration in the area of intelligence gathering and joint operations has undisputedly led to high profile seizures and arrests. Training remains vital to the success of any intelligence-driven task like drug control. Your training programmes for operatives as well as high level seminars and workshops have helped greatly to enhance the capacity of personnel. We are appreciative of your support and highly motivated by your continued determination to extend our frontiers of success in the drug war”.

According to him, “the Agency’s investigative capacity at the airports has been greatly enhanced with the provision of scanners by the United States Government”.

 He vowed that the Agency would continue to justify the confidence the US repose in the Agency. While appreciating the removal of Nigeria from the Drug Majors List by the US, he equally called on the envoy to assist the Agency in advocacy campaign.

“The prompt and objective assessment by the United States Government which led to the removal of Nigeria from the “Drug Majors List” has further increased the tempo of our campaign. We hope we can count on your advocacy support to ensure that more attention and resources are devoted to the all-important war against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking” Giade stated.

In 2012, the United States Government donated a set of body scanner to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for use at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos. The  then US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terence McCauley, handed over the scanner to the Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Alhaji Ahmadu Giade, at the MMIA.

He said, “Drug trafficking is a global problem that requires a global solution. Narcotics trafficking is a multibillion dollar a year business that destroys the lives of countless people, especially the youth. We will continue to fight side-by-side with you against this scourge.

“And in this spirit of cooperation, it gives me great pleasure to be with you today to dedicate an important new tool in Nigeria’s anti-drug trafficking arsenal-a second full body scanner for MMIA, that will enable NDLEA colleagues to perform quick, non-evasive searches of suspected drug traffickers and to locate illegal drugs or other contraband. This second scanner will enable NDLEA to have one scanner dedicated to arriving passengers, and one for departing passengers.” He stated.

 Giade while receiving the scanner, expressed Nigeria’s gratitude for the scanner, and said the agency would not relent in its efforts to combat the drug trafficking business in the nation’s airport.

Drug traffickers relocate to Enugu International Airport

Emeka Ibemere, reports that drug barons and their foot soldier-traffickers are moving down to the former capital of the defunct Biafra Republic, South-East Nigeria.

In the last one month, since the opening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, Enugu State, the record of arrests at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State, have dropped drastically. The reason, according to our investigation is not far-fetched- the move is unconnected to the new International Airport recently commissioned by the Federal Government.

Checks by this correspondent revealed that drug peddlers are catching on the lack of modern drug equipment at the new airport to make brisk movement without being nabbed. These are the attractions for the new movement by the drug couriers from MMI, Lagos to the Enugu Airport.

At the moment, it was gathered that NDLEA are making use of the only one United Nations donated drug testing kit, profiling of suspects, random searching, and old fashion style of guess work to make arrests, a situation that experts suggest won’t serve the expected professional work of the agency.

At the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, the Agency’s investigative capacity has been greatly enhanced over the years with the scanners provided by the United States Government in the past.

The only four scanners are at the Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt.

Investigations also showed that there are no drug explosive-detecting itemizers for use at the Akanu Ibiam international airport. Only the former four international airports in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt are using the itemizers.

An NDLEA source at the MMIA Lagos who spoke on condition of anonymity said traffickers are likely and increasingly exploiting the Enugu airport to avoid the risk of detection travelling through MMIA where body scanners and itemizers are being used to track them down.

He stated that the NDLEA at the Akanu Ibiam international Airport needs an important new tool in the anti-drug trafficking war at the Enugu airport.

According to airport source, the agency at the Enugu requires an arsenal of full body scanner that will enable NDLEA operatives to perform quick, non-evasive searches of suspected drug traffickers and to locate illegal drugs or other contrabands anywhere they try to hid the drugs.

The source said the airport needs at least two body scanners that will enable NDLEA operatives discharge their duties effectively.  “The standard all over the world is to have one scanner dedicated to arriving passengers, and one for departing passengers, if the Enugu airport was to make effective arrest of influx of traffickers who have capitalized on the absence of all these equipment at the new airport”, our source revealed.

Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, also known as Enugu Airport, is an airport serving Enugu the capital city of Enugu State of Nigeria. The airport is named after the late Akanu Ibiam (1906-1995), a Medical Doctor and Statesman who hailed from Afikpo in Ebonyi State.

The airport was closed on February 10, 2010, by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for the first phase of major renovation and expansion works. The airport was re-opened on 16 December 2010, but the second and third phase of the construction works was completed.

On August 25, a historic first international commercial flight landed at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu on Saturday amidst jubilation from thousands of South-East residents.

The Ethiopian Airline Boeing 737-800 with registration number ET-APL, touched down at exactly 12:15 p.m heralded the commencement of international flight at the Enugu airport.

The passengers were from different parts of the world, including London, China, South-Africa.

Federal government’s delegation to the event was led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim.

Other personalities that welcomed the eventful plane were Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Governors Sullivan Chime, Peter Obi, Theodore Orji and Martin Elechi of Enugu, Anambra, Abia and Ebonyi respectively.

Also in the entourage were minister of aviation, Princess Stella Odua, minister of finance, Prof. Ngozi Okonjo Iwela, power minister, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, health minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, among others.

Speaking on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, the SGF said “this is a promise kept”.

“Remember, many promises have been given on this airport by many administrations, but when President Jonathan came, he promised and today he has delivered. It is a dream comes through for the people of south east”.

But barely few weeks after that memorable occasion, that saw the commencement of international flights at the newly Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu; Chizoba Anslem Nwabuwa, 32 entered the National Drug Law Enforcement record as the first drug suspect to be arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu.

According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the arrest was its first arrest and cocaine seizure at the airport. The suspect is still being investigated by the agency.

The 400 Levels Fine and Applied Arts student was apprehended during the inward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian flight from Brazil enroute Addis-Ababa. He was found to have ingested liquid cocaine packed inside male condoms.

The head of the NDLEA at the Enugu Airport, Mr Nsikak-Abasi Udoh who confirmed the arrest said that the suspect excreted 25 wraps of a liquid that tested positive for cocaine.

“The suspect excreted twenty-five (25) wraps of liquid substance. When tested with the United Nations drug testing kit, it tested positive for cocaine weighing 1.250kg. This first arrest and seizure is exciting to us because we just commenced operations,” Nsikak-Abasi stated. The suspect didn’t deny the crime.

 “I am a 400 level student of Fine & Applied Arts at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State. I wanted to use the half a million naira (N500, 000), they promised to pay me in developing my Art Gallery. They assured me in Brazil that authorities will not be able to detect liquid cocaine, so I was confident. Unfortunately, things have turned-out the other way. I regret my involvement in drug trafficking”, Chizoba quipped.

 Chizoba hails from Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Chairman of NDLEA Ahmadu Giade expressed satisfaction with the arrest. “The Agency accords high priority attention to all the airports. We shall continue to up-scale our operations at the airports and prevent drug trafficking syndicates from using the nation’s airports”. Giade Stated.

The drug Czar urged members of the public to pursue legitimate businesses at all times noting that a good name is far better than ill-gotten wealth.  Mitchell Ofoyeju, the Public Relations Officer of the agency, stated that the suspect would soon be charged to court for drug running.

With closer to the Christmas rush by traffickers, it’s expected that more Chizoba would bank on the poor facilities, lack of adequate drug detecting kits, absence of sniffer dogs at the new airport to make drug trips. However, the poor funding of the NDLEA, may not allow the agency to install new scanners at the Enugu airport. Checks revealed that it will cosy NDLEA a huge sum of $225,000, to purchase and installed a new scanner while itemizers will also cost $I million about N17million to install.

  The NDLEA enforces laws against drug trafficking and abuse and plays the lead role in demand reduction and drug control policy development.

Weak inter-agency cooperation contributes to the dearth of apprehensions of major traffickers. Although all law enforcement elements have representatives at Nigeria’s ports of entry, joint operations between them are rare. NDLEA has no adequate resources to combat sophisticated international criminal networks.

The NDLEA has made good use of U.S.-provided technology and training. Most of the organization’s drug seizures occur at airports using U.S.-donated body scanners, with the vast majority occurring at MMIA. The NDLEA faces challenges with arresting the higher level drug traffickers and financiers who organize the regular traffic of low-level drug couriers.

Although there have been some reports of asset seizures since 2010, but NDLEA do not systematically use asset seizure as enforcement tool against traffickers and money launderers. The NDLEA reported no money laundering convictions in 2012. Asset forfeiture remains challenging in Nigeria, which lacks non-conviction based forfeiture or plea bargaining laws. Without an appropriate plea bargaining mechanism, the NDLEA encounters difficulty winning cooperation from low-level couriers to build cases against criminal gang bosses. Another problem lies with Nigeria’s courts, where intimidation and corruption are common.

Marijuana is the most common illicit drug produced in Nigeria, though in 2012, the NDLEA discovered four clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Lagos. Traffickers sell marijuana in Nigeria and export it through West Africa and into Europe, but little reaches the United States. The NDLEA continues to pursue an aggressive eradication campaign, which destroyed 893.9 hectares of marijuana cultivation between January and September 2012.

The introduction of vigorous interdiction regimes at Nigeria’s five major seaports and its porous land borders would likely yield significant seizures. Drug seizures at the MMIA have increased by 60 percent from last year. Between January and October 2012, the NDLEA Command at MMIA seized 64.1 kg of cannabis, 64.8 kg of cocaine, 61.7 kg of heroin, 77.6 kg of methamphetamine, and 31.8 kg of ephedrine, a precursor chemical used to produce methamphetamine. But with the Enugu airport going operational last month it’s expected that the percent of arrests at MMIA is going to drop.

Just last month, The US envoy donated some technical equipment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos and said that the equipment will be used in the establishment of a Centre for intelligence sharing between the two countries.
“NDLEA is a great partner for the United States in drug control. The United States embarks on serious war against narcotics and we are proud to contribute in developing the capacity of the NDLEA through the establishment of a Centre for intelligence sharing” Hawkins stated.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Ahmadu Giade who received the items said that the country’s partnership with the United States has been very fruitful.

 “The relationship between the United States Government and the Government of Nigeria has been characterized by similar gestures in the area of technical support. It is important to acknowledge your sustained determination to support Nigeria in winning the fight against notorious drug trafficking syndicates. This assistance to the Agency is highly treasured” Giade stated.
The NDLEA boss attributed the high performance of the Agency to the growing support and partnership it has with the United States. In his words, “our collaboration in the area of intelligence gathering and joint operations has undisputedly led to high profile seizures and arrests. Training remains vital to the success of any intelligence-driven task like drug control. Your training programmes for operatives as well as high level seminars and workshops have helped greatly to enhance the capacity of personnel. We are appreciative of your support and highly motivated by your continued determination to extend our frontiers of success in the drug war”. According to Giade, “the Agency’s investigative capacity at the airports has been greatly enhanced with the provision of scanners by the United States Government. The Agency will continue to justify the confidence you repose in us”. We hope we can count on your advocacy support to ensure that more attention and resources are devoted to the all-important war against drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking” Giade stated. Several United States and United Nations agencies have in the past donated scanners to the agency. Perhaps, they may do that for the Enugu airport.

Ibori Confiscation Hearing: Mike Okiro The Most Despicable Inspector General Of Police, Ribadu Tells UK Court

Pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, returned today to the Southwark Crown Court, London where he was cross-examined by lawyers for former Governor James Ibori of Delta State. At his first appearance yesterday to testify in a confiscation hearing over assets accumulated by Mr. Ibori with his loot, Mr. Ribadu told the court that the former governor, who is currently serving a 13-year jail sentence in the UK, had stolen as much as $500 million during his eight years in office.
At today’s proceeding, Mr. Ibori’s lawyer, Ivan Krolick, questioned the former EFCC boss on his testimony yesterday regarding $15 million bribe that the jailed governor had offered him. During cross-examination, Mr. Ribadu provided a more detailed account of the bribe which, in his testimony, was delivered to him in cash at the Abuja home of Andy Uba, a former domestic aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo. The former EFCC boss had also stated that he took possession of the cash and immediately deposited it at the Central Bank of Nigeria. He told the court that he wanted the CBN to count and hold the cash for the “people of Delta State,” adding, “I was very determined to return it.”
Mr. Krolick told the court that the bribe saga was “a plot hatched by Ribadu.” He insisted that “Ibori was not at the meeting at Andy Uba’s house, and no bribe was given by him. [Ibori] is in no way connected with this.”
A Nigerian legal analyst who watched the proceedings told SaharaReporters that the defense lawyer’s denial was “extremely weak and unconvincing,” adding that Mr. Ribadu’s account was corroborated by other EFCC operatives. “In addition, how could Ibori deny providing the funds when the physical cash is sitting at the Central Bank of Nigeria? Nuhu Ribadu’s evidence was compelling.”
Mr. Ribadu told the court that the EFCC under his control was extremely busy with more than 100 investigations on corrupt officials in Nigeria. He added that Mr. Ibori was both clever and determined not to get caught, recalling that as he and his team of investigators closed in on Ibori’s corrupt activities, the former governor made several overtures to befriend him. He testified that Mr. Ibori would telephone him “as much as 20 times a day; he was very persistent.” He further testified that the former governor became desperate as he feared that the investigation would make him “lose the governorship and the money.” He recounted that Mr. Ibori did not like EFCC investigators visiting his office and asking questions. In a telephone conversation, Mr. Ibori reportedly told the EFCC boss, “Stop it, stop it. Take the money and stop these investigations. I can give you more.”
Mr. Ribadu told the court that he played along with Mr. Ibori because he wanted to reclaim the bribe money for the people of Delta State. He added that he would have liked to catch the former governor in the act of handing him the cash, but Mr. Ibori enjoyed immunity from prosecution as a result of his office. The former EFCC chief told the court that he could not even question Mr. Ibori about the source of the bribe, adding that tracing its origins was an arduous task because of the huge number of banks in Nigeria.
He stated that then Governor Ibori offered to deliver the money to Ribadu’s home, an option Mr. Ribadu rejected. The former governor did not agree to deliver the cash to Mr. Ribadu’s office. In the end, according to Mr. Ribadu’s account, it was agreed to meet at Mr. Uba’s walled and gated “compound.”
He said the eventual meeting took place in the daytime on September 25, 2007, shortly after the former governor had lost his immunity from prosecution. He narrated how he met Mr. Ibori in a private room in Uba’s house, with only the former governor, his associates, and Mr. Ribadu sat. According to him, Mr. Ibori handed him the money after about 15 minutes. The cash was contained in dark-colored cases which Mr. Ibori opened to show the then EFCC chairman, before instructing his men to hand it over to Mr. Ribadu’s men who were waiting outside.
Mr. Ribadu told a riveted court that the money was immediately taken to the Central Bank of Nigeria and counted. He added that the CBN issued a receipt dated September 26, 2007 for $15 million.
The $15 million is still the subject of ongoing litigation between the federal government of Nigeria and Delta State. A Nigerian high court judge today deferred a ruling on the ownership of the funds till a later date.
The Crown prosecutors closed the confiscation hearing today by reading out the contents of an email exchange between Mr. Ibori and his UK lawyer the day before the bribe was delivered by the former governor. Mr. Ibori’s email read, “Just had a chat with my insider. Should [serve] as restitution…I can walk away, without a trace…”
Mr. Ribadu told the court that, shortly after the drama with Mr. Ibori, he was relieved of his EFCC post and ordered to attend a course at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies at Kuru, Jos.
He narrated to the court that the “despicable Mr. Mike Okiro took over as the head of police as the Inspector General of Police.” He told the court that Mr. Okiro ordered the removal of his car and bodyguard, leaving him exposed. He added that he knew he was being watched and followed all the time. In addition, he told the court that two attempts were made to assassinate him and his briefcase was stolen in “sinister” circumstances. He disclosed that the stolen briefcase contained his diary as well as laptop with his personal evidence and notes about aspects of his work, including meetings and exchanges with Mr. Ibori.
He told the UK court that he held Mr. Okiro unreservedly responsible for what happened to him, adding that the former IGP ran a cesspit of corruption. When asked by a prosecutor whether Mr. Okiro had any ties to Mr. Ibori, the former EFCC chairman answered in the affirmative. He said, “They are very, very close personal friends and Ibori recommended him for the post.”
The confiscation hearing continues on Monday. SOURCE: Saharareporters

Utomi Took N59m Undisclosed Loan From BANKPHB -EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, September 20, 2013, told Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja that Prof. Pat Utomi, the first defence witness in the trial of a former Managing Director of BankPHB, now Keystone Bank, Francis Atuche and two others, took loan facilities to the tune of N59million at different times from the bank during his tenure as the vice chairman of the bank. This revelation came while Utomi was being cross-examined by the EFCC counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN. 

Pinheiro, while presenting documents before the court said Utomi took facilities worth Fifty -Nine Million Naira from the bank during the tenure of Atuche. He said a forty million naira facility was granted to the witness on July 3, 2008, and another draft of ten million naira was also raised on September 23, 2008 in favour of the witness. He said the witness, through a company, U R Maintenance Limited, took another facility of five million naira. Pinheiro also said one Emmanuel Utomi; a relative of the witness received a cheque of four million naira allegedly on behalf of the witness from Clairemount Management Services, a company in which Atuche is alleged to be the sole signatory.

Pinheiro said that at the time the Board of Directors of the bank were ratifying facilities granted by the bank, the facilities granted to the Utomi and many others were not disclosed.

“I suggest to you that the application for these loans predated the meeting. The reason why you did not pose opposition to the ratification of those huge loans was because of the various huge facilities taken by you. You did not voice opposition to the grant of over one hundred billion naira facilities presented to you for ratification. It is the practice  in every minutes that the purpose of facilities granted are stated in the minutes, but the minute of the Board of Directors meeting  of July 9, 2008 was an exemption", Pinheiro said. 

The witness however refuted the claims. He explained that he had started servicing the loans before the bank was allegedly "stolen”.

Apart from Utomi, other board members also took various loan facilities from the bank. Mike Ajoku, a kinsman of Utomi from Ibusa in Delta state was granted a N428million (Four hundred and twenty eight million naira) loan facility. Fidelis Idita, also a kinsman of Utomi from the same community, took a loan facility from the bank.  It was also alleged by the prosecution that one Consolidated Business Support Services got a facility of N1 Billion. The company is allegedly linked to one Ifeyinwa Osime, also a member of the bank's board.  

Pinheiro said the reason why most of these facilities granted were not listed when the CBN called for a list of debtors was because the board members were beneficiaries of the questionable facilities.  

He noted that Utomi, at some point, contradicted his earlier claims that the bank's credit officer presented the list of all companies to the board for ratification when he couldn’t recall if the chief credit officer was male or female.

“On the day over one hundred and twenty billion naira was allegedly ratified by the Board of Directors, you could not recall whether the chief credit officer who was alleged to have made the presentation before the Board was male or female." said Pinheiro.

The matter was adjourned to October 3, 4, 23, 24, 25; November 18 and December 3 and 4, 2013 for continuation of trial.

EFCC Arraigns Man for N7m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  on Wednesday 18th September, 2013 arraigned one Mohammed Bishir Abbas, before Justice E.A. Obile of the Federal High Court, Calabar on one count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence.

Mohammed allegedly obtained the sum of seven million, sixty three thousand naira (N7, 063,000,000) from one Boco Ika  through a phony petroleum products   supply deal. According to Boco, Mohammed was paid to supply eleven trucks of 33,000 litres of petroleum product but only supplied three trucks.

The charge reads; “that you Mohammed Bishir Abbas on or about the 4^th of November 2011 at Zenith Bank Plc Bogobiri Street branch Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N7,063.000.00 (Seven Million, Sixty Three Thousand Naira) from one Boco Charles Ika under the false pretence that the said sum of money would be used to supply petroleum products to him, fact which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(1) (c) and punishable under section 1(3) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

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

However, Justice Obile granted the accused bail in the sum of N2, 000,000.00 (two million naira) and one surety in like sum.

The case was adjourned to November 5, 2013 for trial.

 

Uniformed Gunmen Kill Eight Squatters In Army General's Abuja Home

It was a gruesome scene in the early hours of today as unknown gunmen in army uniform opened fire and killed eight occupants of an uncompleted building in Apo Legislative quarters Abuja.
Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 3 a.m. in an uncompleted building owned by an army general. A source said the victims were squatters in the building, and said they included truck pushers, scavengers and water vendors known as “mai ruwa.”
The source added, “Those people living inside the building had been told to vacate the building on the orders of the Army General who owns the house, but they refused to leave.
But it was unfortunate to see some men in army uniform come in the midnight and open fire on these innocent people. I personally counted eight dead bodies this morning lying in the pool of their blood. I saw bullets everywhere in the building.”
It could not authoritatively confirm that the shooting was carried out by Nigerian soldiers. But a resident of the area told our correspondent that the dastardly act was likely ordered by the officer who owns the building. The name of the officer could not be ascertained at the time of this report.
Meanwhile the scene of the bloody assault has been cordoned off by the men of State Security Services (SSS), soldiers and police. The police public relations officer in Abuja, Altine Daniel, confirmed the attack to SaharaReporters, but said the police had no further information about those responsible for it. He added that investigations had begun on the matter.
SOURCE- SaharaReporters

Ibori Owns 30 per cent Of Oando – Swiss Bank Document Reveals

Contrary to the claim by oil and gas company, Oando Plc, that former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, owns “insignificant” shares in the company, British prosecutors, Tuesday, provided overwhelming evidence that the convicted money launderer owns almost a third of the company.
A crown prosecutor told a British Crown Court in Southwark, London, that Mr. Ibori told a Swiss private bank in 2004 that he owns up to 30 per cent of Oando.
Mr. Ibori is believed to have laundered more than N12.5 billion (£50 million) stolen from the treasury of oil-rich Delta State during his tenure as governor. The case has been described as one of the biggest embezzlement cases ever seen in Britain.
More details of how he hid his illicit wealth in a maze of shell companies and offshore accounts are expected to be revealed in a the three-week long asset confiscation hearing that started on Monday.
According to Ms. Wass, while opening an account at Swiss bank, PKB, through a shell company called Stanhope Investment, Mr. Ibori told the bank he owns 30 per cent of Oando.
Reading from internal PKB documents, Ms. Wass said the former governor passed himself as the owner of an insurance company and 50 per cent owner of a Nigerian Bank.
She also revealed that N180 million ($1.2 million) was transferred from Oando in three instalments into Mr. Ibori’s account in PKB. She said the money was subsequently transferred into a fund meant to purchase a N3 billion ($20 million) private jet for Mr Ibori.

Oando, Nigeria’s biggest indigenous oil company, issued a statement Monday denying that some of Mr. Ibori’s wealth was hidden in the company.
“Based on our current shareholding register, Mr Ibori’s shareholding stands at 443 shares out of a total issued and paid-up share capital of 6.8 billion ordinary shares, which is clearly insignificant, and cannot be considered as a large part of Oando,” the firm said.

Oando shares dipped 10 per cent at the shock market, on Tuesday after news of Mr. Ibori’s involvement with the company broke.
Money like the Kennedys
Internal document shows that Mr. Ibori awed officials of PKB with his enormous stolen wealth so much that the bank likened him to a descendant of the Kennedys in the U.S. The bank described Mr. Ibori as being from a wealthy Nigerian family with decades old wealth gained from investment in the petroleum sector.
“We could compare these families with the Kennedy dynasty which also mixed business and politics,” the bank document said.
Another part of the document also described him as “an extremely rich man as he was doing a lot of business before becoming governor”
Recent evidence has shown that Mr. Ibori started out as a career petty thief who stole building materials in Nigeria and shoplifted in cohort with his now convicted wife in the U.K.
Oando had claimed Mr. Ibori owns insignificant shares of the company.
Contrary to the claim by oil and gas company, Oando Plc, that former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, owns “insignificant” shares in the company, British prosecutors, Tuesday, provided overwhelming evidence that the convicted money launderer owns almost a third of the company.
A crown prosecutor told a British Crown Court in Southwark, London, that Mr. Ibori told a Swiss private bank in 2004 that he owns up to 30 per cent of Oando.
Mr. Ibori is believed to have laundered more than N12.5 billion (£50 million) stolen from the treasury of oil-rich Delta State during his tenure as governor.
The case has been described as one of the biggest embezzlement cases ever seen in Britain.
More details of how he hid his illicit wealth in a maze of shell companies and offshore accounts are expected to be revealed in a the three-week long asset confiscation hearing that started on Monday.
According to Ms. Wass, while opening an account at Swiss bank, PKB, through a shell company called Stanhope Investment, Mr. Ibori told the bank he owns 30 per cent of Oando.
Reading from internal PKB documents, Ms. Wass said the former governor passed himself as the owner of an insurance company and 50 per cent owner of a Nigerian Bank.
She also revealed that N180 million ($1.2 million) was transferred from Oando in three installments into Mr. Ibori’s account in PKB. She said the money was subsequently transferred into a fund meant to purchase a N3 billion ($20 million) private jet for Mr Ibori.
Oando, Nigeria’s biggest indigenous oil company, issued a statement Monday denying that some of Mr. Ibori’s wealth was hidden in the company.
“Based on our current shareholding register, Mr Ibori’s shareholding stands at 443 shares out of a total issued and paid-up share capital of 6.8 billion ordinary shares, which is clearly insignificant, and cannot be considered as a large part of Oando,” the firm said.

Oando shares dipped 10 per cent at the shock market, on Tuesday after news of Mr. Ibori’s involvement with the company broke.
Money like the Kennedys
Internal document shows that Mr. Ibori awed officials of PKB with his enormous stolen wealth so much that the bank likened him to a descendant of the Kennedys in the U.S. The bank described Mr. Ibori as being from a wealthy Nigerian family with decades old wealth gained from investment in the petroleum sector.
“We could compare these families with the Kennedy dynasty which also mixed business and politics,” the bank document said.
Another part of the document also described him as “an extremely rich man as he was doing a lot of business before becoming governor”
Recent evidence has shown that Mr. Ibori started out as a career petty thief who stole building materials in Nigeria and shoplifted in cohort with his now convicted wife in the U.K.

Brutal Beatings Of Journalists And Ogun State Officials - Oyedepo In Fresh Storm Of Controversy-TheNEWS

By – Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta, additional reporting by Eromosele Ebhomele

At about 8:15pm on 8 September, Bishop David Oyedepo, founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, alias Winners’ Chapel, was in Abeokuta to meet with Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State. The meeting was facilitated by former president Olusegun Obasanjo, whom Oyedepo contacted to reach out to Amosun. The governor was said to be seething over the latest controversy involving Oyedepo and his church.
Two days earlier, some members of the church assaulted a team of  officials of the Ogun State Ministry Of Urban and Physical Planning, who had gone to the church’s headquarters in Ota to serve building inspection notices, as well as two journalists attached to Ogun State Television.
Peter Falomo, a reporter, and Lekan Egunjobi, a cameraman, were the worst hit. A statement issued by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Ogun State Commisioner for Information and Strategy, said the journalists were savagely beaten, their camera seized, the recording deleted and the camera damaged before it was released. Olaniyonu alleged that Oyedepo was  present, watching the assault as though it was a spectator sport. “The assault was witnessed by the Head Pastor of the Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, who equally was visibly angry at the decision of the officials to attempt to carry out their statutory duties in his church premises,” said Olaniyonu. The commissioner added that Oyedepo repeatedly spewed insults at the officials and asked why they imagined they had the licence to regulate building of structures for commercial purposes in his church premises.
Aside from the journalists, two officials of the ministry were also wounded by church members, who denied the team access to the church premises. The victims were taken to the General Hospital in Ota, where they were treated and subsequently discharged. The church authorities are said to have severally ignored invitations to meetings of the Stakeholders Forum, set up by the government, for organisations in the state to discuss with the government issues like physical planning and taxation regulations.
General Manager, Ogun State Urban and Physical Planning Board, Mr. Stephen Adewolu, who led the team of officials, accused the church authorities of acting as though they were above the law. “No organisation can carry on as if it is above the law. We have information that the people in that church are just building structures indiscriminately without building approval, without necessary environmental impact assessment reports and they are violating planning laws and regulations,” Adewolu said.
It was the second assault on government officials by Oyedepo’s followers in as many days. A day before, officials of the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service, OGIRS, who visited the church premises to effect the payment of outstanding taxes were similarly attacked. According to officials of the agency, the outstanding taxes, which cover a seven-year period, are owed by Kingdom Heritage Nursery School, owned by Oyedepo’s church and located within its headquarters. The tax owed is put at less than N2 million. “What they owe is below two million naira. It is from 2003 to 2010. We have sent several notices to them. The first one was in 2010, followed by that of 2011 and the last was in May 2013. Our men were explaining to them when some personnel, including their legal officer and accountant, came out and in the course of discussion, our men were beaten blue black and our equipment were destroyed,” explained OGIRS Chairman, Mr. Jide Odubanjo.
At a press conference a day after the assault, the state government showed a video of the attack on OGIRS officials and subsequent detention of journalists for three hours by staff of the school. The video was recorded on the sly by a government official with a mobile phone and later downloaded on DVD. The detained staff were released following the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer of Onipanu in Ota Division. Odubanjo said the service is legally empowered to access and inspect financial records in the premises of any business located within the state. He explained that the recent inspection was part of the government’s drive to ensure compliance with tax laws and enforcement efforts. Odubanjo added that the visit to the church’s headquarters became necessary in view of the fact that the authorities of the church had ignored reminders to pay up.
Muyiwa Adejobi, Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Police Command, said the matter will be investigated. Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu, said her ministry is studying the facts on the two incidents with a view to fashioning an appropriate legal response.
Before the meeting with Oyedepo, Amosun was said to have met with some key officials of his government, including heads of law enforcement agencies, and taken a decision to seal off the premises of the church last Monday. The decision was, however, leaked to the church, a development that pushed Oyedepo to seek Obasanjo’s assistance in getting through to the governor.
At the meeting with Oyedepo, said sources, Amosun did not conceal his disgust at the conduct of Oyedepo’s followers. A source at the meeting said Oyedepo pleaded for leniency, but the governor said the church must pick the hospital bills of the victims and replace all the damaged equipment. The governor was also said to have insisted that law must take its course in the matter.
Sources told TheNEWS that five of those involved in the attack on government officials have been arrested by the police and may be slammed with charges based on their statements to the police.
“Without prejudice to the facts on ground and with the video evidence we have just watched, they may likely be charged for false imprisonment and assault,” said Akeredolu, Commissioner for Justice.
When TheNEWS visited the church’s headquarters, a pastor that refused to give his name confirmed that Oyedepo met with the governor. He explained that the preacher agreed to pick the medical bills of the victims and pay for the damaged equipment. He also said church officials involved in the violence will be sanctioned on release from police detention. The pastor, however, denied the government’s claim that Oyedepo was present when government officials were being molested and branded the authors of such claim as mischievous.
But a regional pastor, who prefers to be anonymous, told this medium that church officials that attacked OGIRS officials did so based on the conviction that the church has been sensitive to the needs of its host community and is thus entitled to a tax-exempt status. He said this was conveyed to OGIRS officials who, rightly, were unimpressed.
Just like the Ogun State government, the British authorities have also developed an interest in Oyedepo, whose church in Britain has received an estimated £16 million in tithes from followers between 2008 and 2013. Of this sum, according to a recent report in The Guardian of London, over £1 million has been funnelled into the church’s operation in Nigeria, the reason for which the Charity Commission of England and Wales is scrutinising the church’s finances. The commission is a non-ministerial department that functions as the regulator and registrar of charities in England and Wales. Last month, The Guardian reported that the Charity Commission was investigating allegations that charitable funds that accrued to Oyedepo’s church have been misapplied.
The commission is looking into two Christian charities connected to Oyedepo, estimated by Forbes to be worth $150 million, over concerns about misapplication of charitable funds and conflicts of interest.
World Mission Agency, the church’s charity vehicle, registered with the commission in 2001 and lists its objectives as the proclamation and advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its 2011 accounts list Pastor David Oyedepo Jnr, the preacher’s son, as its chief executive.
 World Mission Agency – Winners’ Chapel International, which shares the same trustees and website as World  Mission Agency, registered in 2010 and lists among its objects the advancement of education and the relief of those in need.
The latest accounts on the commission’s website show that World Mission Agency had an income of £224,000 in 2011, but spent almost £7.5 million. World Mission Agency – Winners’ Chapel International had an income of £11.9m in 2001 and spent £3.4m, according to its 2011 accounts.
The World Mission Agency annual accounts for 2011 state that its net assets, valued at £8.5m, were donated to World Mission Agency – Winners’ Chapel International. According to World Mission Agency’s accounts, the sum £663,532 was contributed in 2011 by the congregation “for onward transmission to the world headquarters in Nigeria”. The year before, payment to the Living Faith Church totalled £324,683. In 2009 £149,000 was sent “for charitable activities in Africa”.
 Other payments from the cash donated weekly by the congregation include £192,000 in 2009 and 2010 as “welfare assistance” for unspecified “certain members of the church”. Identified charitable donations were discovered, however, to be considerably smaller. These include £10,500 to Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, £9,000 to Christian Aid–an international charity that attends to emergencies worldwide–for the Haiti earthquake appeal and £2,500 to charities in Lewisham, East London.
Joel Edwards of Micah Challenge, which runs Exposed, a global anti-corruption campaign aimed at churches, business and government, praised the generous spirit of congregations such as that of Oyedepo’s church, but called on church leaders to be more transparent. “All of us have a growing concern about any kind of mercenary response that puts cash at the centre of Christian faith. I challenge any movement, including Winners, to be open and account for its money wherever it goes because it comes originally from hard-working, faithful people,” said Edwards.
The seed of the scrutiny of the church’s finances was sown last November, when Paul Flynn, a member of the British Paliarment, accused Winners’ Chapel of cynical exploitation of members. “They [Winners’ Chapel] are making clearly spurious claims and it seems to be a cynical exploitation of the gullible,” he said.
Donations to Oyedepo’s church in England almost doubled from £2.21m to £4.37m between 2006 and 2010. A hefty £794,000 or 73 per cent of the charitable donations by the British Winners’ Chapel between 2007 and 2010 went to the headquarters in Nigeria. The registered charity has spent £6.81m on evangelism and ‘praise, worship and fellowship’.
Oyedepo’s teaching, which puts the accent on ceaseless giving of tithes and offerings (Kingdom investment), is followed and reviled in equal measure. He and other prosperity preachers have been accused of milking the passion and emotion that Christianity commands to give themselves Hollywood lifestyles of jets, pricey autos, sumptuous wardrobes and unfettered adulation.
This combination of fame and fortune in superstar preachers, especially in Oyedepo, is considered by critics as having filled them with breathtaking conceit towards the less fortunate and indifference to the law. Two years ago, an online video went viral when it showed Oyedepo viciously slapping a young girl, who claimed to be a witch during a church service. The violent conduct provoked joy in the congregation. He was later shown in a separate video, lustily saying: “I slapped a witch here last year!”
When criticism erupted online, Oyedepo’s followers defended his use of violence by citing the Biblical account of Matthew 21:12, which records Jesus throwing out traders from the temple, but conveniently ignoring the fact that the account has no evidence of Jesus slapping or punching any of the traders. “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves,” reads the verse. In May 2012, Oyedepo was sued over the alleged assault. The case was struck out, a decision that has since been appealed.
Oyedepo’s diary of controversies reads like a rap sheet. A report in the Newswatch edition of 7 July 2010 detailed his alleged ill-treatment of three pastors of his church–Akah Ikenna (Benin), Ifeakwachukwu Sunday (Asaba) and Dick Abiye (Port Harcourt)––who were involved in auto crashes that left them with disabilities. According to the magazine, the pastors, who earned N45,000 monthly, were on official assignment for Winners’ Chapel when separate accidents occurred.
Sunday, ordained a pastor of the church in 2001, was serving at Umunede, Delta State, when the accident occured. One of his legs broke into two and he also suffered severe  pelvic dislocations. At a hospital in Benin, Edo State, he underwent  several surgeries, including one through which steel braces were inserted into the leg and the pelvis. He was then discharged and asked to come back for a second operation to remove the objects. But, as he claimed, the church abandoned him at the hospital in Benin, “but through the help of some brethren, I came back to my station”, bed-ridden.
Sunday was redeployed to the church’s district office at Asaba. But he got another letter the same day terminating his appointment. He went to the headquarters to appeal to Oyedepo for a re-consideration of his case. “Luckily, I met Oyedepo himself as he was coming out from the church. After I had introduced myself, he asked me what I wanted. I told him I needed money for the operation to remove the metals from my body. He then directed me to one Ndubuisi, who was then the secretary. Ndubuisi asked me what it would cost and I told him I did not know till we meet the doctors. He then asked me to go and do so and get back to them. When I got the documents from the doctors, I went and submitted them to him, but the church never acted on them.”
Desperate, Sunday said he wrote to Oyedepo on 12 August 2009: “I had written series of letters to you, attached with the medical bill (N230,000) for my surgery, but all to no avail. I believe the letters did not get to you. From the time I was relieved of my service to the church, it has not been easy for me following pains from the injury. Now, I cannot stand for a period of three minutes, not alone walk. I solicit for your fatherly care. I have nowhere else to turn to but this organisation I once belonged to.” He never got a response and claimed not have been paid his entitlements.
Sunday resigned to fate. So did Abiye, his colleague. But Ikenna, the third pastor, hired Lagos-based lawyer, Festus Keyamo and went to court. They won the case at the Ota High Court. But Oyedepo and his church headed to the Appeal Court, where the case has remained since 2009.
The church’s spokesmen denied that they were abandoned. In a statement, the church said: “They were not abandoned. They were treated on moral ground and in demonstration of good Christian character. The church (Winners’ Chapel) has the right to review its workers’ performances and release from service any staff it feels his or her services are no longer needed.” It was in the 11 November 2011 edition of Newswatch that Oyedepo publicly commented on the issue. “I almost cursed them (i.e. the three pastors). If there is any case that is serious to take to the court, you go to the court and lawyers will take charge,” he said.

BIG FRAUD: Two Bureau De Change Operators, Undergraduates arrested for N2Bn Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arrested two bureau de change operators: Salihu Liman Mahmoud and Dan Asabe Ibrahim and two University of Jos undergraduates, Isaiah Friday and Azzaior Samuel over an alleged N2.05 billion fraud.

The fraudsters, who specialize in breaking into the computer data base of financial institutions, in order to carry out dry posting of funds, were arrested in Lagos and Jos.  Their arrest comes on the heels of a petition which the Commission received from Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, Marina, Lagos sometimes in January 2013, alleging that a criminal attack had been launched on its data base known as “Flexcube”, by unknown criminals who falsified the bank records and accounts and created unjustified huge opening balances in several accounts across the bank’s branches and subsequently transferred funds from those accounts to several accounts in other banks.

The petition, which was signed by one A.F Olufade, Head of Fraud Investigation at the bank, said cash withdrawals and electronic transfers totalling over N2.05Billion was involved in the scam.

 

 Upon receiving the petition, the Commission's Banks and Other Financial Institutions Fraud section swung into action. Investigations by the Commission however revealed that Isaiah Friday, who was carrying out computer system maintenance services for one of Union Bank branches in Jos on a part-time basis paved way for the fraudsters to penetrate the bank’s database. Friday was traced and arrested. His arrest led to the arrest of  Azaaior Samuel.

 Investigations further revealed that Mahmoud, who is the mastermind of the fraud with others now at large, had approached Samuel if he knew anyone working with the Union Bank. Samuel gave Friday's contact and Friday was contacted. They told him they needed access to the bank's database in order to carry out some postings. They promised to give Friday N1, 500,000 (One Million Five Hundred Thousand) if the deal succeeded. Friday obliged and on the day the crime was committed, Samuel disguised as a colleague of Friday who had accompanied him to work in order to gain access to the bank’s premises. They carried out the postings to six different company accounts domiciled in Union Bank's Marina branch in Lagos.

 

The accounts are: Gona Bureau De Change Limited, Jaxmine Bureau De Change Limited, Dan Kawu Bureau De Change Limited, Godswill Great Communications, ZHG Services Limited and A and B Console Limited. The postings were carried out and the syndicate thereafter went to the bank to draw all the funds. Friday was paid as promised and other syndicate members now at large shared the remaining balance.

 

Meanwhile, the EFCC has so far been able to recover the sum of  $2,129,900 (Two Million, One Hundred and  Twenty Nine Thousand Nine Hundred Dollars only) and another N134,542,720 ( One Hundred and Thirty Four Million, Five Hundred and Forty Two Thousand, Seven Hundred and Twenty Naira only) from  the fraudsters. Other items recovered include: furniture worth N10 million from Salihu Liman's one bedroom apartment in Yaba, Lagos, four vehicles, landed properties in Kano and Kaduna and a four bedroom duplex worth N45 million in Lagos.

Investigation in to the scam continues.