Economic
Whistleblower petitions EFCC, justice minister over corruption in maritime academy
Pool Photo A whistleblower in the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron in Akwa Ibom State, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute the management of the institution over multiple fraud, as well as systemic and perennial corruption. In a two-page petition to EFCC by Mr. Adamu Jibrin, a staffer of the Academy dated 6th April 2021 through his Attorney, Michael Edet and Associates, and made available to newsmen in Uyo titled, “Petition of Fraud, Embezzlement, Misappropriation and Criminal Conversion of Public Funds to Personal Use by the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron,” the petitioner alleged that millions of naira have been siphoned from the treasury of the academy. Copies of the petition to the EFCC Chairman, the Attorne...
EFCC arrests bank staff for ‘N34 million fraud’
The Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one Elizabeth Modupe Osunjuyigbe, an employee of Access Bank Plc, for an alleged fraudulent diversion of funds to the tune of over N34m (Thirty-four Million Naira). The suspect, who was arrested on Friday April 30, 2021, allegedly sent a fraudulent request sometime in January to the Branch Service Manager of Access Bank, Adeola Odeku, Lagos State, to issue a draft of the sum of N31, 330, 165. 00 (Thirty One Million, Three Hundred and Thirty Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty-five Naira) in favour of one Best Timland Nigeria Limited. Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly forged a solicitor’s letter dated January 19, 2021 directing the bank to issue the draft in favour of Best Timland, claimi...
EFCC hands over recovered N67.5 million to victim in Enugu
YouTube The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has restituted the sum of N67,523,000 to one Mr. Emmanuel Onyekachukwu Onah, a trader based in Onitsha, Anambra State. EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said Onah’s ordeal started sometime in 2019 when he transferred the sum of N75,760,540.00 to the duo of Tega Esinone and Obiajulu Umeagukwu for onward transmission to his business partner, Crecedor Industrial Co. Ltd in Hong Kong. The suspects converted the money to their own use. After efforts to recover his money from the suspects failed, Onah petitioned the EFCC. The commission in the course of investigating the scam, initiated a non-conviction based forfeiture process which culminated in a December 1, 2020 ruling by Justice I.N Buba of the Federal High Court, Enugu, orderin...
UN projects Nigeria’s GDP to expand by 1.5 percent
Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to expand by 1.5 per cent this year, after a contraction of 3.5 per cent in 2020, a United Nations (UN) report said on Wednesday. In the latest World Economic Situation and Prospects report, the UN noted, that tighter foreign exchange (forex) liquidity, mounting inflationary pressures and subdued domestic demand clouded the medium-term outlook. Although last year, the global economy shrank by 4.3 per cent, this year’s projected recovery of 4.7 per cent will barely offset the losses of 2020, according to the report. The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2021 is a report produced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), in partnership with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the five UN regional ...
EFCC warn POS operators over illegal cash transaction
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, recently warned operators of Mobile Money and Banks Agents otherwise known as POS operators over illegal cash transactions. The Commission’s Zonal Head in Sokoto CDS Bawa Usman Kaltungo on Thursday March 25, 2021 gave the warning at a meeting with the Sokoto Chapter of Mobile Money and Banks Agents Association, (MMBA) Sokoto State Chapter in his office. EFCC boss express concern at the high rate of mobile money fraud in the country, and called on the association to join hands in the fight against money laundering and electronic transaction fraud. But while reacting to this, the South West coordinator of Moniepoint, Israel Eniolorunda frowned at this development noting that nefarious activities of many of these POS operators in the country...
EFCC chairman: I will resign If asked to do anything contrary to my conscience
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has said that he will resign if he’s asked to compromise. This is as he vowed to ensure that corruption in Nigeria is gotten rid of, saying the “rule of law and fear of God shall be his guiding principles.” The EFCC boss said this on Friday, March 26, 2021, when he featured in a Nigerian Television Authority interview programme One-on-One. His words were disclosed in a statement titled ‘We’ll rid Nigeria of corruption – Bawa Vows,’ which was issued on the official Twitter handle of the EFCC. “We need to change our attitudes in Nigeria,” Bawa was quoted to have said. “We are in the habit of worshipping people that have money in the society, but never bother to ask questions about their source of income. In winn...
Femi Falana: EFCC can mandate bank MDs, executives to declare assets
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is charged with the responsibility of enforcing the provisions of all laws relating to economic and financial crimes, Africa’s leading human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) has said. Consequently, according to the senior advocate, the anti-graft commission is empowered to cause investigations to be conducted into the properties of any person as stipulated under Section 7 (1) (b) of the EFCC Act, 2004. Also yesterday, Transparency International (TI) argued that if the provisions of the Bank Employees, etc. (Declaration of Assets) Act, 1986 were effectively enforced, Nigeria could save between $15 billion and $18 billion illicit financial flows (IFFs) annually. Falana clarified the roles of the EFCC in a response to inquiries on whethe...
CDD: Monitoring and evaluation vital in tracking fight against corruption
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) says monitoring and evaluation is vital in tracking the fight against corruption in Nigeria. Speaking at a three-day monitoring and evaluation capacity-building workshop for Anti-Corruption Agencies (ACAs) on Monday in Calabar, Idayat Hassan, CDD director, said monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a process that helps track the progress in the fight against corruption in the country. The workshop was organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) in partnership with the Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-corruption Reform (TUGAR). It also had support from the MacArthur Foundation. Represented by Emmanuel Akomaye, the centre’s project consultant on anti-corruption, Hassan said the CDD believes that it is important to bring all...
Activist asks court to compel Kano, others to refund VAT generated from alcohol
An Abuja-based activist, Sesugh Akume, has filed a suit before a Federal High Court in the nation’s capital, asking it to compel states that outlawed the sale of alcohol to refund the sums received through Value Added Tax imposed on alcoholic beverages. About 12 states practise Sharia law in Nigeria. They are Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Zamfara and Niger. Based on Sharia law, some of the states prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages and usually hold public events where bottles of alcoholic drinks are destroyed while gambling is also illegal. However, all the states receive VAT collected from alcoholic beverages sold in other states that permit the sale of the product. In an originating motion brought pursuant to Section 1(3), 4(5), 162(3), (4...
EFCC arraigns three FIRS directors, six other officers for N4.5 billion fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday, arraigned Peter Hena, former Coordinating Director of Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS and eight other officers of the agency before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja. The others are Mohammed Bello Auta (Director of Finance), Amina Sidi (Finance and Account department), Umar Aliyu Aduka (Internal Audit), Mbura Mustapha (Deputy Manager), Obi Okeke Malachy (Services Group), Obaje Napoleon Adofu (Head of Budget), Udo-Inyang Effiong Alfred (Officer II) and Benjamin Jiya (Assistant Director) . They were docked on a 42- count charge bordering on corruption, fraud and criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of N4,558,160,676.9 ( Four Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty-eight Million, One Hundred an...
EFCC arraigns three for contract scam in Kaduna
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Wednesday, arraigned the trio of Abdulmumin Ohikwo, Usaini Shehu and Rilwanu Abdullahi before Justice Tukur Muazu of the Kaduna State High Court, Kaduna, on a 10-count charge of obtaining by false pretense. The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to defraud the complainants under the pretext of helping them procure contracts with Jigawa State Government. Investigation revealed that the defendants obtained the total sum of N2, 310,000 (Two Million Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) only from the complainants by falsely representing that they are in a position to procure contract for them. One of the charges reads, “that you Abdulmumin Ohokwo, Usaini Shehu and Rilwanu Abdullahi sometime in 2019 within the jurisdiction of this...
Senator Dickson: Why I am staying off Bayelsa government events
File Photo A former Governor of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, says he has no rift with his predecessor, Douye Diri, who took over from him on February 14, 2020. Dickson said his noticeable absence from government functions was deliberate and in consonance with his values and principles of non interference. In a statement issued on Thursday, Dickson, who is now a senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District of the state, said he remained supportive of Diri’s administration. He said he had no hand in the media attacks against Diri’s administration by some of his former aides. Dickson’s explanation came on the heels of claims by John Idumange, a former general manager of the Bayelsa Broadcasting Corporation, alleging diversion of N3 billion agricultural loan obtained by Dickson’s adminis...
