Crime

EFCC secures convictions of three fraudsters for employment fraud in Gombe

Published

3 weeks ago

April 10, 2024

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of three fraudsters.

Justice J.A Kereng of the Gombe State High Court sitting in Gombe, on Monday, April 8, 2024 convicted and sentenced the duo of Ibrahim Abdullahi and Umar Usman to various jail terms for obtaining the sum of N682,847.00 (Six Hundred and Eighty- Two Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-Seven Naira only) under false pretences. He also sentenced Mohammed Sala Soja to six years imprisonment. All the three convicts were jailed for employment fraud.

Abdullahi and Usman were separately arraigned on three count charges of cheating and employment scam by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The charge against Ibrahim Abdullahi reads: “That you, Ibrahim Abdullahi sometimes in October 2020 and January 2021 in Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the Polaris ATM Card properties of Aminu Adamu Idris and Muhammed Saidu Jibril, which you claimed was documentation for offer of employment you secured for them in a private liability company at Gombe, but rather used the said ATM to obtain loan to the tune of N682,847(Six hundred and Eighty Two Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Forty Seven Naira only) without their consent and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”

The charge reads “that you, umar Usman sometimes in October 2020 and January 2021 in Gombe, Gombe State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the Polaris ATM Card properties of Aminu Adamu. Idris and Muhammed Sadu Jibril, which you claimed was documentation for offer of employment you secured for them in a private liability company at Gombe, but rather used the said ATM to obtain loan to the tune of N682,847 (Six Hundred and Eighty Two Thousand, Eighty Hundred and Forty Seven Naira only) without their consent and there by committed an offense contrary to section 320 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 322 of the same Law.”

Upon arraignment, the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them.

In view of the defendants’ pleas, prosecuting counsel, A.B Kware prayed the court to convict and sentence them accordingly. However, counsel to the defendants, R.A. Anthony pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy “as the defendants are first- time offenders who are remorseful for their actions.”

Justice Kereng convicted and sentenced Abdulahi to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N50,000 (Fifty Thousand Naira only) and Usman bagged two years imprisonment or a fine of N50,000.

The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they allegedly approached their victims in October 2022 about some phony job opportunities in a private liability company in Gombe State. They directed their victims to each open an account with Polaris bank which they did and surrendered the account details as well as their ATM Cards to them.

The convicts in return gave their victims the sum of N10,000 each. After a while, the victims had issues with Polaris bank’s transactions and went to the bank to make enquiries only to be confronted with an outstanding loan of N682 ,847. All efforts to distance themselves from the loan proved abortive and reported the case to the EFCC.

In a similar development on Monday, Justice Kereng also convicted and sentenced one Soja to six months imprisonment. He was arraigned on three count charges of intent to defraud, cheating and employment scam by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and financial Crimes Commission, EFCC

One of the charge reads “that you, Muhammed Sala Soja sometimes in July 2023, at Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did make a false document titled ‘2023 recruitment invitation for marshal’s basic course’ which knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 362 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 364 of the same Law.”

Upon arraignment, he pleaded guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, AB Kware to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly. However, counsel to the defendant, I.S Gada pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy “as the defendant who was remorseful for his actions is the breadwinner of his family and has a medically challenged father to care for.”

Justice Kereng then asked Kware if the defendant was a first time- offender and the prosecution counsel responded that though the defendant had made restitution to the victim of crime, he was convicted by the same court on February 14 2024 for a similar offence.

Responding, the judge said, “Based on the plea of the defence counsel coupled with the fact that the defendant has restituted the victim of crime and his father’s medical condition, I will give him a second chance. The defendant is hereby convicted and sentenced to six years imprisonment with an option of fine of N150,000

Soja still has other pending cases with the EFCC.

Crime

Man sentenced to one year in prison over inheritance fraud

Published

10 hours ago

April 30, 2024

NewsDirect

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Maiduguri Zonal Command, on Tuesday secured the conviction and sentencing of one Isiyaku Ibrahim before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court.

Isiyaku Ibrahim was prosecuted on a one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N12 million.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this via its X handle on Tuesday.

It said the properties involved in the inheritance fraud include three houses, two fenced lands one of which had seven shops, two bread factories, one open land, two truck tankers and one big installed generator.

The charge reads: “That you Isiyaku Ibrahim and Mallam Ibrahim sometime between 2014 to 2019 at Jajere Baga Road, Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties belonging to Muhammad Isiyaku (now deceased) to wit: (1) Three Houses, (2) Two fenced lands one of which had seven shops, (3) two bread factories, (4) one open land, (5) two truck tankers and (6) one big installed generator, valued at N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) only and thereby criminally misappropriated the said amount to your personal use, to the detriment of the family members of the deceased and therefore committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State and Punishable under section 309 of the same law.”

Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced Ibrahim to one-year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine.

Crime

I have no evidence to prove that i collected money for Emefiele – Witness

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2024

NewsDirect

The second prosecution witness, John Ayoh in ongoing trial of the former governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele who is standing trial over an alleged gratifications and others, has admitted that he has nothing to prove that the defendant instructed money on his behalf .

The witness who was a former CBN director of Information Technology (ICT) admiited this while being cross examine by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo over his testimony that he collected $400, 000 and $200, 000 on behalf of the defendant from contractors.

The witness gave testimony before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court, (Special Offence), Ikeja on
23 -counts charge bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand and others slammed on Emefiele and one other by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ayoh was led in Evidence in Chief by the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo in which he detailed his role in the alleged offence preffered against Emefiele by EFCC

However , under cross examination by the defendant’s counsel, Ojo, the witness said his duty as CBN ICT director then, did not required running errands for Emefiele, but he worked directly with the former CBN governor then.

Ayoh testified that he began to worked directly with Emefiele when the former Deputy Governor (Mr Adelabu) resigned .

He admitted that Emefiele was not in charge of the Procurement and Support Services Department is in charge of procurement (PSSD) of CBN , which has the sole responsibility of selecting successful contract bidders.

The witness also admitted that Emefiele didn’t informed him whether the money he collected was for gratification for the award of contracts.

Ayoh also informed the court that he didn’t gave any evidence to proof that he collected money on behalf of Emefiele from contrators to EFCC.

He also revealed that it was CBN’s
Major Contract Tender Committee (MCTC) that takes final decision on award of contract with recommendation from PSSD and . Emefiele was not a member of the committee.

The witness stated that Emefiele was only a member of the Committee of Governors (COG) and their decisions are collegiate;

Ayoh further admitted that he was not told by anybody that the money given to him was briber for contract awarded but he just implied that by himself.

Besides, he also admitted that he did not acknowledge the receipt of the money nor countef it

Crime

EFCC probes 13 suspected oil thieves in Lagos

Published

11 hours ago

April 30, 2024

NewsDirect

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal Command, has commenced investigation of 13 suspected oil thieves who were handed over to it by the Nigerian Navy in Lagos.

This was disclosed on the X handle of the EFCC on Tuesday, April 30.

The commission revealed that the suspects, alongside the vessel, were intercepted and arrested by officers of the Nigerian Navy for alleged oil bunkering and Automatic Identification System, AIS, infractions.

The post reads in part: “Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have commenced investigation of 13 suspected oil thieves and a vessel, MT SWEET MIRI, handed over to the Commission by the Nigerian Navy NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos State.

“The suspects are: Abu Smith, Pascal Anyafulu, David Ali, Mba Okpanu, Chukuma Friday Obiazi, Miye Victor and Richard Kofi.

“Others are Monday Aidenagbon, Dele Olayemi, Boma Robinson, David George, Onos Edemefe, and Suleiman Aremu.

“The vessel was laden with about 1,322 metric tonnes of substance “confirmed to bear the attributes of crude oil without any document permitting her to be in possession of the substance.”

The commission’s Head, Extractive Industry Fraud Section, EIFS, Moses Awolusi, assured the Navy that the suspects and the exhibits would be subjected to further investigations and prosecution.

He also commended the Navy for its collaboration with the EFCC and the good working relationship both agencies had enjoyed over the years.