EFCC sets the year rolling, secure convictions, many arrests

Barely a month in the New Year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission may have started the year in a different form by securing convictions and arrests of suspected criminals throughout the country.

Kicking off the year in a style, the Commission with a conviction secured in Enugu, Justice M. L. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court Enugu, Enugu State, on Friday January 17, 2014 convicted and sentenced one Monday Agha, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on a four count charge of obtaining money under false pretences to seven years imprisonment. In a Press Release made available to Daily Newswatch on 17 January, 2014 by the Head, Media & Publicity of the anti-crime Commission, Wilson Uwujaren said

Justice Shuaibu convicted the accused and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on counts one, three, and four without option of fine, but discharged on count two. According to him, the sentences are to run concurrently.

 Agha, a serial fraudster was also facing trial on an 8-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence before a Federal High Court, Abakaliki, and Ebonyi state. He was accused of defrauded one Paul. O. Ezema, a teacher at the University of Nigeria, of about N805, 000 (Eight Hundred and Five thousand Naira) when he claimed to be a dealer in electrical rings used for pipeline protection by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

One of the charges against the accused read, that: “You Monday Agha, Engr Chris Ezea, (at large) Nwadike a.k.a papa (at large) and Engr. Benson Banigo (at large) on or about 11^th August 2012 in Enugu within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of three hundred and fifty thousand naira (N350, 000.00) from Paul. O. Ezema by false pretence that you were selling to him an electrical ring used by NNPC for pipeline protection which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

As that wasn’t enough, last week, the EFCC arraigns a lawyer and two others for fraud

The suspects were on January 13, 2014 arraigned before Justice Onuoha A. k. Ogwe of the Abia State High Court sitting in Aba, on 15-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence.

 The three suspects, Vitalis Anopue, Chigbu Paul and Amalaha Augustine were alleged to have obtained money from unsuspecting Nigerians under the pretext of soliciting for money for the defunct Anti-Corruption Revolution Campaign (ANCOR), programme of the EFCC.

Count three of the charge reads, that “Vitalis Anopue and Chigbu Paul on or about the 12^th day of September, 2012 within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Abia State, Aba Judicial Division with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of three Hundred and Seventy-Six Thousand Naira Only (N370,000.00) as contributions from some purported patrons of Anti-Corruption Revolution (ANCOR), through Chigbu Paul under the pretence of soliciting for funds on behalf of the EFCC and ANCOR, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence”.

The three accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the 15 count charges when it was read to them.

 Meanwhile, L. C. Onumajure, counsel to the accused persons said he had filed an application for bail for the accused and urged the court to grant them bail as the alleged offence was bailable.  The prosecution counsel, Arumemi Moses did not oppose the application but asked the court to grant operatives of the EFCC the power to screen the sureties to be presented by the accused persons.

Justice Ogwe admitted the first accused person, Vitalis Anopue, a lawyer, to bail on self recognition.

“The second and third accused persons, Chigbu Paul and Amalaha Augustine, were granted bail in the sum of N500, 000.00 (Five Hundred thousand Naira) and one surety each. The sureties must live within the jurisdiction of the Court.

 Justice Ogwe adjourned the case to 6^th, 10^th, 17^th and 31^st of March 2014 for continuation of hearing”, Wilson Uwujaren, Head, Media & Publicity stated.

Riding on the same crest of crime was one Obinna Okoro at Owerri, Imo State over allegations of obtaining money under false pretence. He allegedly obtained Five Thousand Euros (€ 5,000, 00) from one Dr. Essien Edet about two years ago under the guise that he could help his daughter secure admission to study Medicine in Ukraine. After obtaining the money, the suspect developed wings and fled the area until he was arrested by the commission. The victims attempt to get Obinna to refund the money were unsuccessful. EFCC spokesman said the suspect would be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is completed.

From Kano State is a report of fraud committed by a Kano State based Bureau De Change operator.

On January 16, 2014 the suspect, one Auwal Ibrahim was arraigned before Justice Farouq Lawal of the High Court of Kano State on two-count charge that borders on issuance of dishonoured cheques. The accused person is alleged to have converted part of the $100, 000 (one hundred thousand United States Dollars) given to him to sell by his customers to personal use.

It was gathered that sometime in August 2012, the accused allegedly received the sum $50,000 from a complainant with a promise to return N7, 900,000. After selling the foreign currency, he only returned N3, 850, 000 (Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).

In October 2012, the accused person again allegedly collected another $50, 000 from Indo Kyaftin Bureau de Change.

“When it was time to return the proceeds of the sale, he issued two Skye Bank Cheques which bounced on presentation due to insufficient funds in the account”, EFCC stated.

Reading the charges, one of the charges read: “that you Auwalu Ibrahim on or about the 31^st day October, 2012 in Kano within the judicial division of the High Court of Justice Kano State issued a Skye Bank Cheque dated the 31^st October, 2012 for the sum of N7,900,000 (Seven Million Nine Hundred Thousand Naira Only) to Indo Kyaftin BDC limited which was presented and returned unpaid on the ground that no sufficient funds were standing to the credit of the drawer as at 2^nd November, 2012, the date it was presented and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) and punishable under section (1)(1)(b) of the Dishonoured Cheque Offences Act, Laws of the Federation, 2004”. Meanwhile, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice Lawal ordered that the accused be remanded in EFCC custody pending hearing of the bail application and adjourned proceedings to January 23, 2014.

If you think it’s only those cases, then the jailed currency counterfeiter who bagged four years Jail term would surprise you. Justice B. O Quadri of the Federal High Court, Gombe sentenced one Mohammadu Chubado to four years imprisonment on a six count charge of conspiracy, forgery, and unlawful possession of counterfeit Nigeria currency notes.

Chubado, a member of a syndicate involved in the printing and circulation of counterfeit Naira currencies in Yola, Adamawa state and environs, was first arrested in March 2009 by the Department of State Services, DSS, and later handed over to the EFCC, North East zonal office in Gombe for further investigation and prosecution.

 Daily Newswatch learned that the accused person was first arraigned at the Federal High Court, Gombe in May 2009.

In his judgment on Wednesday January 15, Justice Quadri convicted Chubado on counts 1, 2, 3, and 4 bordering on conspiracy and counterfeiting of Nigeria bank notes, and unlawful possession of counterfeit bank notes.

He was sentenced to a year imprisonment on each count charge without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently from date of conviction.

 But it was a bad one for the EFCC when in Kogi State, a particular Judge granted bail to a convicted Council Chairman. It was a drama show on January 16, 2014 at the Federal High Court Lokoja, Kogi State as Justice I. E Ekwo granted bail to a former chairman of Adavi Local Government Council, Enesi Jimoh whom he had earlier convicted and sentenced to a six months imprisonment without option of fine for criminal misappropriation of public fund.

 It was alleged that Jimoh who was prosecuted by the EFCC was found guilty by Justice Ekwo on November 13, 2013 of converting N7million belonging to the Council for personal use.

He was arraigned by the EFCC alongside one Samuel Abiodun Ojo, a Commissioner for Agriculture in March 31, 2010. Ojo was however discharged by the court after a no case submission filed by his counsel in June, 2012.

 Upon his conviction, the former council boss, through his counsel Olu Agunbiade, filed an appeal seeking a review of his conviction. Agunbiade wrote to the prison authorities in Koton-Karfe, demanding the health status of the accused person.

It was further learned that on the strength of that letter, the prison authorities took the convict to a specialist hospital where he was allegedly diagnosed of lung cancer. Agunbiade also presented to the court a letter from the prison authorities, stating that the hospital do not have facilities to treat lung cancer.

“On the strength of these letters, counsel prayed the court to grant his client bail on health grounds”, EFCC quipped.

But counsel to EFCC, Wahab Shittu reportedly opposed the application vehemently on the grounds that it would be tantamount to throwing the prison gates open to convicted persons who would want to use health issues to escape serving jail terms.

Wahab in his submission also told the court that the presumption of innocence was no longer available to the convict having been convicted and sentenced.

While dismissing the application as incompetent, Shittu assured that the state would give adequate medical attention to the convict even if it means sending him abroad for treatment. But in his ruling, Justice Ekwo granted the convict bail in the sum of N15million and one surety in like sum. The judge said the surety must be a responsible citizen and owner of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court which value shall not be below the bail sum. “The original title deed shall be deposited at the court registry and the surety shall depose to an affidavit of means”, Justice Ekwo ruled.

In another development, the Secretary to the EFCC, Emmanuel Adegboyega Aremo has urged Nigerian youths to embrace positive values and shun all vices, especially corruption.

Aremo gave the advice on Wednesday January 15, 2014 at the Commission’s headquarters, Abuja when he was presented with a distinguished role model award by members of the Akoko Youth Congress.

Leader of the three-man AYC team, Comrade Aluko Rasheed said the honour for the EFCC scribe is in recognition of his selfless service and exemplary conduct.

 “Your good conduct and administrative style coupled with your numerous charitable works has fundamentally amazed our union. Your passion for humanity and your incomparable dedication to the physical development of our dear country and your enviable academic records has made a comrade of you. This is no doubt the reason we chose to bestow on you AYC golden award as a distinguished AYC role model of the year 2013,” Rasheed added. “As a respected and dedicated Ondo State indigene, you have gone beyond the ordinary to capture the essence of vision, hard work, accountability and integrity”.

Aremo who said he was humbled by his choice for the award, coming a few months after he assumed office as Secretary to the EFCC, thanked the group for the rare honour. He advised members of the association to be hard working and positive role model for their peers and the younger generation.

He assured the group that he would continue to contribute his quota to the development of Akoko land and the Nigerian state.

Meanwhile, investigation by the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde says property acquisitions in Abuja have become avenues for money laundering by unscrupulous persons.

Lamorde disclosed that the evidence of the trend was the number of palatial but unoccupied houses that dot the Abuja landscape.

The EFCC boss was speaking during a courtesy visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed in Abuja on Thursday, January 9. He stated that the Commission had uncovered money laundering schemes in the FCT in which the perpetrators disguise the proceeds of crime by investing in properties.

He explained that those involved in this nefarious act do not purchase properties with bank instrument but prefer to pay for their acquisition with cash.

Lamorde further revealed that the laundered funds are frequently converted into foreign currencies through the Bureau de Change before the purchases are made.

According to him, such persons do not bother to change ownership after such acquisitions, making it difficult to verify the identities of the new owners or the sources of fund.

The anti-financial crime Czar disclosed that over 270 cases of land scam were reported to the Commission in the last three years.

Lamorde noted that the Commission suspected insider abuse in some of the cases investigated and called on the Minister to be prepared to initiate disciplinary action against erring officers.

 In his response, the Minister thanked the EFCC chairman for the visit and commended the Commission for its effort to stamp out corruption in the FCT.

 “Without anti corruption agencies like the EFCC, ICPC, I am not sure how the FCT would have been ranked and so we will continue to give the commission support in order to build a vibrant relationship where it won’t be business as usual,” he said. 

Senator Mohammed disclosed that the commission has supported the FCTA in terms of arresting the scourge of corruption and leakages in the FCT especially on land premiums. According to him, the most brazen of the vices was land fraud adding that the EFCC has assisted in arresting and prosecuting those involved.

According to the FCT Minister, “it is sad that the capital territory as a jurisdiction is used as a citadel of corruption and also for perpetuating acts of corruption, people from the states and local government illegally acquire money and come to get it hidden in the FCT through acquisition of properties that are not registered and that is a big concern because it is depriving the FCT of the revenue needed and increasing corruption in the Capital Territory. It is also increasing security challenges because most of the houses acquired are left vacant and we have no means of knowing who owns them”, he said.

The Minister disclosed that the FCTA was working with the Abuja Geographical Information System, AGIS to upgrade their system in such a manner that it would be difficult for anybody to impersonate, manipulate or forge land documents. He however lamented that some former employees of the authority were duping unsuspecting but desperate members of the public while posing as staff of the FCTA.

The EFCC chairman was accompanied on the visit by senior management staff of the agency including the Director, Organisational Support, Mr Bolaji Salami; Director of Operations, Mr Olaolu Adegbite; Director of Legal and Prosecution, Mr Chile Okoroma and Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Mr. Osita Nwajah.