project change9ja

One of the three deputy governors of the Central Bank of Nigeria is currently on suspension for being involved in ‘a sophisticated plot’ to defraud the bank a huge sum of money, findings have revealed.  Top officials of the CBN close to the development told us that two directors of the bank were also suspended over the multi-million naira scam.  The officials, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said their suspension was ordered by the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, after preliminary findings revealed that they might be culpable.  The CBN had on Thursday night said it had uncovered what it described as a highly sophisticated plot to defraud the bank by some people.  The bank said in a statement by the Acting Director, Corporate Communications, Isaac Okoroafor, that while preliminary investigations had not revealed any accomplices within the bank, some personnel within the CBN...

Chairman, Association of Bureau de Change of Nigeria, BDC, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, has pledged the support of the association for the Economic and Financial Crimes, EFCC, in the fight against corruption.  Speaking during a courtesy visit to the office of the acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, in Abuja, on Thursday, March 3, 2016, he said, “the Association wants to align with the boost recorded so far in the economy as a result of the unrelenting efforts of the EFCC to fight corruption.  “The Naira is weakened by unearned income and high demand for foreign exchange used for laundering activities. We are working on a system that will enable the EFCC and the NFIU monitor the buying and selling of foreign exchange by Bureau de Change Operators.’’  Yahaya further stated that the Commission was in the process of capturing unlicensed operators for easy monitoring of their activities.  Responding, Magu reassured the group that the Commission would not r...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed 10 counts of money laundering against the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), accusing him of removing a total sum of N3.9bn from the accounts of the Nigerian Air Force between January and December, 2013. Badeh, who has remained in EFCC custody since February 8, is charged along with a firm, Iyalikam Nigeria Limited, before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The relationship between Badeh and the company is not disclosed in the charges. Badeh, who is also a former Chief of Air Staff, will likely be arraigned along with the company on Thursday (today). Another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice James Tsoho, had on Monday fixed March 4 (Friday) for ruling on Badeh’s bail application. The anti-graft agency in the charges, numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/46, 2016, accused Badeh and Iyalikam Nigeria Limited of spending the total sum of N3,974,362,732.94, ...

Another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Joseph Nwobike, paid N750,000 into the account of Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged yesterday. The allegation is contained in a counter-affidavit filed in opposition to a further and better affidavit filed by Rickey Tarfa (SAN). Justice Mohammed Idris yesterday ruled that Tarfa could adduce new evidence through the further affidavit deposed to by a lawyer, Mohammed Awwal Yunusa. In the further and better affidavit, the lawyer said the bank account, which EFCC said Tarfa used to bribe Justice Yunusa, belongs to him, and not to Justice Yunusa as EFCC alleged in its counter-affidavit to Tarfa’s suit. The lawyer said Tarfa gave him N225,000 on January 7, 2014 to help finance his masters in Law degree. But EFCC has alleged that Tarfa was not the only SAN to pay money to Justice Yunusa’s account. An EFCC operative, Moses Awolusi, sai...

The EFCC has supplied details of how Rickey Tarfa SAN bribed Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High. In an affidavit filed in the court  today, to counter the N2.5 billion suit instituted against EFCC by Rickey Tarfa, evidence of transfer of N225,000 to Justice Yunusa's account was supplied.  Chief Ricky Tafa SAN SaharaReporters Media Equally supplied was an SMS from Mr. Yunusa through which he acknowledged the receipt of the bribe from Mr. Tarfa. The affidavit also included other SMS messages showing requests from other lawyers in Mr. Tarfa’s practice specifically requesting the Chief Registrar to assign certain cases filed by them to Mr. Yunusa. Evidence was also provided showing that Mr. Tarfa and his associates won all cases assigned to Mr. Yunusa’s court.  Rickey Tarfa's call logs to show regular communication with Mr. Yunusa when the 3 cases were pending, evidence of which was also outlined in the affidavit.  Apart from arguing that Mr...

Former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, today told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he was not ready for his trial to be continued. Speaking at the hearing of the money laundering charges filed against him by the Department of State Security DSS today February 16th, speaking through his Counsel, Joseph Dauda, Dasuki said he will not be available for the trial until the Federal government obey the court orders that granted him bail last year.  Dasuki was re-arrested by the DSS on fresh charges of money laundering and illegal possession of firearms after he had fulfilled bail conditions for separate charges filed against him by EFCC.  Counsel to Dasuki, Joseph Dauda, while presenting his argument to the judge, said “We cannot be ready for trial until the defendant enjoys his constitutional rights.  We apply that we should be given time to prepare the defence. The conduct of the prosecution has not enabled him to enjoy his constitutional right...

Mrs Dame Patience Goodluck, the wife of a former president may soon be invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to explain her role in the sourcing and disbursement of huge funds spent by the Presidency in the last two weeks before the general elections. The fund, estimated at over a trillion naira, was routed and disbursed through the Amnesty Office to some notable politicians in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Investigators of the disbursement noticed that the release of about 40 per cent of the funds was authorized by the former First Lady. Also under investigation by operatives of the anti-graft agency, is the source of the funds, which has not been established due to the Amnesty office’s boss departure from the country.  According to sources, the failure of the former head of the presidential Amnesty Programme to return to the country has slowed down investigations of how the funds were sourced, “because he allegedly disbursed ...

The Project Manager of a Chinese civil engineering and construction company, Etim Abak, on Monday told the Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory that former President Olusegun Obasanjo awarded the Abuja Rail Project in 2007 without an engineering design or a Memorandum of Understanding.  The Minister of FCT and current governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, allegedly signed the $841.645,898m contract based on an uncalculated estimate.  The committee was also told that the contract, which was for 60.67-kilometre rail project, was inflated by $10m per km and that the length was later reduced to 45km without refund of the cost for the 15.67 km that was dropped off from the project.  The Senate committee, led by Dino Melaye, who were at the site of the project to carry out oversight functions, therefore, demanded the refund of $195,878,296.74 being the amount for the 15.67km that was cut out, from the Chinese firm handling the proje...

The immediate past Director of Finance and Budget of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore O. O. Gbadebo, has reportedly refunded the sum of N84m to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered.  A reliable source in the EFCC said that investigations revealed that the money was diverted from the account of the Air Force.  The source said the money was part of the money budgeted for the procurement of weapons. Last week, the commission seized houses belonging to Gbadebo; the immediate past Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (retd.); and the Chief of Accounts and Budgeting of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal J.B. Adigun, all worth about N5bn.  The source revealed that after sealing off the houses, the EFCC continued to trace the money with a view to recovering the sums. The source added, “After we sealed some properties last week, we continued to grill the three officers. Gbadebo finally confessed to diverting N84m...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 re-arraigned the duo of immediate past Kwara State Commissioner for Information, Olatunji Oyeyemi Moronfoye, and Ope Saraki, cousin to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former Special Adviser on Millennium Development Goals to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed before Justice Oluremi O. Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin for offences bordering on abuse of office, diversion of public funds and money laundering. Moronfoye and Saraki who were first arraigned on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 had to re-enter their plea today following the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice A. O. Faji. Moronfoye, while being the Special Adviser to former Governor Saraki (now Senate President) allegedly used his position to enrich himself. Specifically, he allegedly awarded contracts to the tune of N200million (two hundred million naira) for the renovation of Ijagbo Primary Health Ce...

A prosecuting witness, Junaid Sa’ad on Tuesday told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh took N50m out of the N400m given to him by former National Security Adviser, NSA, Col Sambo Dasuki,(rtd) to purchase landed property in Lagos.  Sa’id, a detective at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),is the eight witness to have have testified against Metuh. Testifying before Justice Okon Abang, Sa’id, said the embattled PDP spokesman used part of the slush funds, about N500m, received from the office of national security adviser (ONSA) to buy property at Banana Island, Lagos.  He said, “Investigation revealed that after the payment of N400m by ONSA, a total sum of N366m was paid into the same account by one Kabiru Ibrahim, who also paid in N150m; Capital Field Investment Limited paid in N91m, and one Eyitonye, paid in N82m,”  “These funds formed the naira equivalent of...

Another round of investigations into the $2.1billion arms deals is to begin tomorrow, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) sources said yesterday. Top on the agenda is how the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan Administration bought €3,654,121million vehicles for the Republic of Niger in October 2013 and April 2014. The cash was withdrawn from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) account in two installments of €1, 401,869 and €2,252,252.25. The commission is also seeking to verify whether or not the vehicles were bought and under diplomatic or bilateral security cooperation.  The EFCC is to find out from the Republic of Niger if there was such assistance from Nigeria. The agency plans to quiz some more public figures, including former Minister of Finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, some former Service Chiefs and serving military officers in connection with the $2.1billion arms deals. Some suspects may be taken into custody, it was learnt. The ...

The Supreme Court has delivered judgment on the appeal filed by the Senate President, Bukola saraki, seeking to halt his ongoing trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT. In delivering judgment on Friday 5 th  February, the Apex Court declared that Saraki’s CCT trial is proper and in order. Saraki is facing trial for false declaration of assets while he was the Governor of Kwara State. Saraki had appealed the October 30, 2015, judgment of the Court of Appeal, which dismissed his appeal challenging the jurisdiction of the CCT to try him for alleged false declaration of assets. Saraki was arraigned before the CCT on September 22, 2015 on a 13-count after initial resistance, prompting the tribunal to issue a bench warrant for his arrest. In its  October 30  judgment, a three-man panel of the appeal court, in a split decision of two-to-one held that Saraki’s appeal lacked merit. More later…

The Publisher and Editor in chief of Thisday Newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, has reportedly returned the sum of N350m to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to a reports.  This represents more than half of the N670m he is believed to have received from the office of former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki.  Obaigbena was said to have paid the money to the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, February 2. Of the N670m, Obaigbena revealed that N120m was given to the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria as compensation for losses incurred during the military clampdown on newspaper houses in 2015 while N550m was given to Thisday newspaper as compensation for the 2013 bombing of the Thisday premises in Kaduna and Abuja.  He made the aforementioned disclosures to the Special Task Force of the EFCC, investigating the issue of arms procurement under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. The anti-graft agency subsequently re...

Former governor of Delta State, James Onanefe Ibori has completed his prison terms in the United Kingdom.  But he is yet to be a free man, as he was immediately re-arrested. We learnt that Ibori jailed 13 years in April 2012 by a Southwark Crown court in London was released by prison authorities on 22 January... He was released from Her Majesty’s Prison in Bedford, outside of London, where he finished his  prison term.  He was also initially at the Long Lartin Prison in Worcestershire. “He is out of here”, a prison source at Bedford confirmed on Tuesday night. Our sources said Ibori was re-arrested to face another charge, which borders on the confiscation of his ill-gotten assets, estimated to be about 250 million pounds. The case initially billed for May, will now come up in June, sources told us this afternoon. We cannot however confirm Ibori’s new prison. Fifty-seven year old Ibori was jailed for using UK financial institutions to launder...