Find the EFCC press statement below
A 70-year-old man, Adebola Oyewole
Asiwaju, has been arrested by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for
allegedly attempting to fraudulently sell the
shares of one Olalere Sunday Oladosu.
To perfect the scam, the suspect allegedly
forged documents and opened a bank
account in a new generation bank, with the
assumed name of “Olalere Sunday Oladosu”.
Then, he proceeded to instruct Marina
Securities, a brokerage, to dispose of
1.7million units of Zenith Bank shares valued
at N42million and remit the proceeds to the
account he opened with the new generation
bank.
The lid on the scam was lifted when a routine
check by staff of Marina Securities revealed
some discrepancies in the documents
presented by the suspect and the ones the
genuine owner of the shares had filed with
the defunct Intercontinental Securities
Limited.
Consequently, the suspect was arrested by
the Nigeria Police, and later handed over to
the EFCC for further investigation and
prosecution.
The suspect is alleged to be neck deep in
stealing shares of unsuspecting investors and
selling them for a commission. He is believed
to work for a syndicate and receives 10
percent of the proceeds of any “business” that
sails through. His accomplices are still at
large. Other names that Asiwaju has used in
fraudulent shares sale include, Babajide
Odunso and Chief Bolaji Carew. The suspect
will be arraigned in court as soon as
investigation in concluded.
Find the EFCC press release below....
Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo
State yesterday reserved ruling in the
N25billion money laundering and abuse
of office charge brought against Micheal
Igbinedion and Charles Eboigbodin by
the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, for January 30,
2015.
Justice J. Liman on Friday November
14, 2014, fixed the January 30 date for
judgement after the adoption of written
addresses by counsel: Rotimi Jacob
SAN for the prosecution and Mike
Ozekhome SAN, Ricky Tafa SAN and
Barr. Richard O. Ahonaruogo for the
accused persons
The accused persons along with their
companies: Gava Corporation Limited;
Romrig Nigeria Limited; PML Securities
Company Limited and PML Nigeria Limited,
were arraigned by the anti- graft agency on a
81-count charge bothering on Money
Laundering, Misappropriation of funds,
conspiracy and Abuse of office.
While addressing the court, Jacobs hinged
his submission on the testimonies of
prosecution witnesses which, according to
him, corroborated the charge, with emphasis
on the several public funds deposited into
private accounts, and how government funds
were used to repay loans collected by former
governor Lucky Igbinedion while he was in
office.
Jacobs then prayed the court to "accept the
prosecution’s case as presented and convict
the accused persons as charged".
But before closing his address, the
prosecuting counsel called the attention of
the court to the inability of the bailiff to serve
the summon earlier issued by it on the former
Edo State governor, who failed to present
himself in court, after the Appeal Court
decision in April, asking him to return to the
High Court for trial.
Jacobs disclosed that all efforts by the bailiff
to serve Lucky Igbinedion with the summon,
met a brick wall as he was always turned
back from the gate by security men who told
him on all occasions that Igbinedion was out
of town.
The EFCC counsel then prayed the court to
permit a substituted service of the summon
on the last known address of Igbinedion.
"May I apply that the first accused person be
served by allowing the prosecution paste the
notice at the known address,” he said.
But Justice Liman advised the prosecuting
counsel to make an application. According to
him, "the summon has expired, you can
reapply or ask for a substituted service as
there are other means of service. Prosecution
must make another application."
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
14th November, 2014
Find the EFCC press statement below...
A suspected fraudster, who defrauded a
group of Bureau de Change operators of $
18,600,290 USD and disappeared after he was
granted administrative bail by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has
been re-arrested. Alhaji Saidu Hashim was
picked up by operatives of the Commission
from his hide out in Lagos.
Alhaji Hashim who is the owner of Amjigar
Bureau de Change Limited alongside one
Ahmed Bashir allegedly defrauded a group of
52 bureaux de change operating under the
aegis of Association of Creditors of Amjigar
Bureau de Change, of the sum of $18,600,290
(Eighteen Million, Six Hundred Thousand, Two
Hundred and Ninety Dollars) between August
and October 2008.
The suspect is alleged to have collected the
money and diverted it for his personal use
thereby failing to honour his financial
obligation to the group.
The suspect who was first arrested by the
EFCC was granted administrative bail prior to
his arraignment in court but jumped bail,
thereby stalling his prosecution. But his
accomplice, Ahmed Bashir is currently
standing trial at the Federal High Court,
Kaduna.
The fraudulent activities of the suspect and
his disappearance brought told hardship to
his victims and their dependants.
Alhaji Hashim will soon be arraigned in court.
Find the EFCC press statement below...
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, October 30,
2014 arraigned an undergraduate of the
University of Benin, Kenneth Rukewe
Ebule before Justice E. F Ikponmwen of an Edo
State High Court, sitting in Benin- City on a
6- count charge bordering on forgery,
obtaining money by false pretence and
possession of fraudulent documents.The
accused person allegedly duped Sabine Albert,
a German, of the sum of $12, 088, 75 through
fraudulent claims.
Rukewe, 30, a final year student of Computer
and Statistics at the University of Benin, was
arrested by officials of a new generation bank
on May 28, 2014 in Benin City and handed
over to the EFCC for further investigation.
Troubles started for him when Albert alleged
that within two months after he had internet
contact with him, Rukewe fraudulently
obtained the sum of $12,088,75 (Twelve
Thousand Eighty Eight Dollars and Seventy
Five Cents) from him.
Rukewe allegedly posed to Albert as an
English businessman on transit in Nigeria. He
gave his name as Bob Albert and told his
victim that he had a contract with a Nigerian
company worth €1.200, 000.00 and that he
needed a loan to facilitate a transaction with
the company. He promised to pay back the
loan and even doubled it because he was sure
of pulling through the transactions. He also
told Albert that he had complications and
suffered a robbery attack.
Rukewe also falsely told Albert that, a levy of
of N1,975,861 (One Million, Nine Hundred and
Seventy Five Thousand, Eight Hundred and
Sixty One Naira only) was imposed on him by
the Federal Inland Revenue Service for the
release of his International Passport, and a
cheque worth 1, 200,000 Euros. He also
pleaded for a flight ticket to London.
Based on all these, Albert offered to loan him
the money by sending it through Western
Union, only to discover that he had been
scammed.
Investigation also revealed that the suspect
had defrauded other German nationals to the
tune of $110,975.00USD (One Hundred and
Ten thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventy Five
United States Dollars) between May 2013 and
January 2014.
When the charges were read to the defendant,
he pleaded not guilty.
One of the charges read in part:
“Ebule Kenneth Rukewe (a.k.a. Bob Albert), on
or about the 17th day of July, 2013 within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with
Intent to defraud, obtained the sum of $
12,088,75 (Twelve Thousand Eighty Eight
Dollars and Seventy Five Cents) from Sabine
Albert (a German National), under the false
pretence that the money represented part
payment of N1,975,861 (One Million Nine
Hundred and Seventy Kobo) levy imposed one
Bobby Albert (a British citizen) by Federal
Inland Revenue Service for the release of the
International Passport, Cheque worth
1,200,000 Euros and flight ticket to London of
the said Bobby Albert, which representation
you knew to be false”.
In view of the plea of the defendant,
prosecution counsel, Kayode Oni asked for a
trial date and prayed the court to remand the
defendant in prison custody. The defence
counsel, Maureen Morka informed the court of
her application for bail dated September 9,
2014 and prayed the court to grant the
defendant bail.
Justice Ikponmwen granted the defendant bail
in the sum of One Million Naira and two
sureties in like sum. The sureties must be
resident in Benin City and must be gainfully
employed in Edo State. The defendant must
also produce his student identity card.
Justice Ikponmwen subsequently adjourned
the case to November 21, 2014 for hearing
and ordered that the defendant be remanded
in prison custody pending the perfection of his
bail.
