UK to Return Ex Delta Governor Ibori’s £6.8m of Loot to Nigeria

The UK government is to return  an additional 6.8 million pounds of the  confiscated loot of former Delta Governor, James Ibori, to Nigeria.

Rupert Broad, UK Metropolitan Police Senior Investigator, disclosed this in London on Tuesday at a meeting on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria: What Role for Police in the Nigerian Diaspora” held in the House of Commons.

While speaking  on UK and Nigeria’s anti-corruption partnership, Broad said “out of the eight million pounds confiscated from Ibori, 1.2 million pounds had so far been retuned to Nigeria, while the rest was waiting for redistribution as to when it would be sent back to Nigeria.”

He also said that an additional 80 million pounds had been temporarily confiscated from Ibori and his associates, including Patrice Gohil, one of his lawyers.

“Approximately, 80 million pounds is temporarily frozen and a confiscation hearing has been fixed for April 2015, where the judge will determine how much was stolen, after which it would be returned to Nigeria.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the British Southcrown  Court in April 2012  sentenced  Ibori  to 13 years jail term for fraud and money laundering.

Broad, who attributed the success of the Ibori case to partnership with the nation’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), said “the case signified Nigeria’s commitment to the fight corruption.

“In light of the Ibori case, Nigeria has done a fantastic job in tackling corruption.

“Corruption does not go away easily,  addressing it requires continuous process and the UK Metropolitan Police  will continue to collaborate with Nigerian authorities on cross border international investigation.”

Similarly, Nsikan Etuk, the Director of the UK Nigeria Police Forum, said that the diaspora was a powerful tool for the reformation of the nation’s police force.

Etuk, who spoke on “Supporting Policing in Nigeria”, expressed the commitment of the Forum in collaborating with government in tackling challenges impeding efficiency in policing in the country.

He said that the Forum, whose membership included serving and retired police personnel, was established following challenges facing  the Nigerian community in the UK.

In the same vein, Kunle  Bamgbose, the Nigerian Deputy High Commissioner to the UK, said the nation’s police officers were among the brightest in Africa, adding that they were only impeded  by operational challenges.

He said “inadequate equipment such as communication gadgets, the lack of efficient forensic laboratories  and other logistic problems are some of the challenges facing the police force.”

Bamgbose, however, said “it is difficult to impose UK policing culture in Nigeria because the environments are different.”

According to him, partnership in training and capacity building of officers will be an ideal area of collaboration.

The meeting, which had participants from the Nigerian community, was chaired by Meg Hillier, the Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group on Nigeria.

Source: NAN

Adamawa accounts frozen by EFCC –Nyako

The plot to impeach the Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, took a dramatic twist on Thursday, as he has cried out that forces behind the plot have frozen the state government’s accounts.

He said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents in Abuja, on Thursday.

Nyako, who spoke through his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Ahmad Sajoh, also said he had yet to receive a copy of the impeachment notice.

He said, “They have frozen all our accounts today; no reason has been given for the action. We were not served any notice and nobody has told us why our accounts were frozen.

Oduah, Soludo still under probe –EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said that it is still investigating a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, and a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo.

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said during a press conference in Abuja on Monday that the commission was still investigating a case of bribery against Soludo.

Last year, President Goodluck Jonathan was forced to sack Oduah after a public outcry against her alleged involvement in the purchase of two BMW bulletproof cars for her use by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

......prosecutes 156 companies for forgery

The Federal Government is currently prosecuting 156 companies for tendering forged procurement documents, while bidding for contracts. The Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a forum with contractors, consultants and service providers to Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government. The forum, organised by the BPP, was held in order to provide an update on the implementation of the reform in the public procurement system, explain the provisions of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 as they affect contractors as well as enhance the implementation of the 2014 federal budget.

BMW Bulletproof Car Scam : At last, EFCC Quizzes Stella Oduah - PUNCH

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday  quizzed a former Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, for over five hours at their  Idiagbon House headquarters   in  Abuja.

Investigation revealed that Oduah  arrived at Idiagbon House around 10am and left at 3.30pm after being granted a provisional bail.

An EFCC   source said   the former minister was   asked questions and thereafter asked to   make  a statement that could aid the  commission’s ongoing investigation into the purchase of two BMW bulletproof cars by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority at a controversial sum of N255m.

No money is missing from Police Pension Fund – Okonjo-Iweala

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday confirmed that no money was missing from the Police Pension Fund.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, her Special Adviser on Media, in Abuja.
It said reports that N24 billion was missing from the fund were false.
“Contrary to media reports, the sum of N24 billion is not missing from the Police Pension Fund,’’ the statement stated.
It stated that Okonjo-Iweala had told the Senate Joint Committee on Pensions Administration at a public hearing that she ordered the account frozen to prevent fraud.

Pension thieves threaten our witnesses – EFCC

Suspected Police Pension Fund thieves hide their faces in
shame during a court session

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday said some suspected pension thieves on trial are threatening its witnesses in a bid to undermine evidence established against them.

Mr. Bello Yahaya of the EFCC Operations Department disclosed this at a ‘sensitization workshop on the importance of protecting witnesses’ identity and addresses,’ which was organised by the Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action in Abuja.

The EFCC operative noted that, because of the stolen funds at their disposal, the unnamed pension thieves try to entice witnesses in order to stop them from turning up in court to testify in their trial.

Pension thieves cashed 400 cheques in one day –Witness

EFFCC Chair, Ibrahim Lamorde

A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of seven persons accused of complicity in the over N20bn police pension fraud, Mustapha Gadanya, has narrated to Justice Hussein Baba of the Federal Capital Territory High Court how 400 cheques were  cashed in a day by the accused persons.
Led in evidence by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, Gadanya told the court on Tuesday in Abuja that he obtained and analyzed the certified true copy of instruments used in making withdrawals in the name of Veronica Onyegbula and the Directors of Police Pension  office, Esai Dangaba, Atiku  Abubakar and Inuwa Wada.

Alam’s loot: Bayelsa disowns lawyer, as EFCC spits fire

Abuja — The Bayelsa State Government, yesterday, disowned a lawyer, who claimed to have been mandated by the state to file a suit challenging Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for not remitting the various sums of money it recovered from former governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.
George Uboh, cited as the Chief Executive Officer of Panic Alert Security System, is reported to have approached the Federal High Court Abuja and asked it to compel the anti graft agency to remit N1.4 billion and $1.3 million to the state, being the amount it forfeited from Alamieyeseigha in 2005.

The state government said it did not mandate the said lawyer to file the suit and asked EFCC and the public to ignore the matter.
The statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso Markson, made it clear that the state did not authorise any individual to institute the suit and had no case with EFCC for that matter.

US seizes $458m Abacha loot

The Justice Department is moving to seize more than half a billion dollars of allegedly corrupt proceeds from former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his associates, in what officials called the largest such action in U.S. history.

In a court filing unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., government lawyers said the U.S. has already frozen more than $458 million in bank accounts around the world, and seeks to recover at least $100 million more.

The seizure is part of a kleptocracy initiative, aimed at recovering money that was looted by dictators from their own countries.

"General Abacha was one of the most notorious kleptocrats in memory, who embezzled billions from the people of Nigeria while millions lived in poverty," said Mythili Raman, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.

Medical Director Investigated: Federal Medical Center Owo In ‘Financial Mess’

A lawyer to the FMC director arrested for attempting to bribe EFCC operatives

The Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, is under investigation. Dr. Abiodun Olufemi Omotosho, who holds that post, is currently the target of an investigation by officials at  the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over allegations of corruption, and embezzlement in the hospital.

The Chief Medical Director, and other top officials at the hospital, are said to be on a so-called ‘black list’ of the EFCC for siphoning funds meant for the training of staff. What has also drawn attention, sources tell SaharaReporters, is the cutting down of some salaries of the hospital’s administrative staff.

Court fixes Feb 10 to rule on Fani-Kayode money laundering case

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday fixed Feb. 10 to rule on the competence of a criminal charge brought against Femi Fani-Kayode, who is being charged for money laundering.

Fani-Kayode, a former Aviation Minister, is standing trial on an amended 47-count charge bordering on money laundering.
When the case was called on Monday, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, said she would deliver her ruling on a future date because counsel in the suit had filed their written submissions out of time.

EFCC arrests Kano Speaker, 10 other lawmakers

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arrested the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Gambo Sallau and 10 other principal officers of the house.

The PUNCH gathered their arrest followed a petition over the N25bn supplementary budget presented by the governor, Rabiu Kwakwanso to the lawmakers on December 5.

There are suspicions that the supplementary budget is a cover up to financial misappropriation.

Fire Okupe, apologise to Nigerians, ACN tells Jonathan

The Action Congress of Nigeria on Monday urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sack his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Dr Doyin Okupe.

In a statement on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also asked the President to hand over Okupe to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution and apologise to Nigerians for appointing him as his spokesman.

The party said the Jonathan administration, in its desperation to employ an “attack dog” to spearhead its onslaught against the opposition parties, ended up outsourcing the job to Okupe.

UK court finds Akingbola guilty of misappropriation of fund

A London High Court has found Dr. Erastus Akingbola, the erstwhile Managing Director of Intercontinental Bank Plc liable of unwholesome practices and  misappropriation of the bank’s funds to the tune of N164 billion.
The court described the purchase of “shares in a box” as an insider dealing which is not an accepted best practice in civilized business dealing.
 However a source close to Dr. Akingbola’s legal team in London, Peter and Peters law firm said they plan to appeal the judgment as all the needed documentation for the appeal were being assembled in London.