Crime
ICPC arraigns two contractors for forgery
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned the General Manager, AGB Limited, Friday Adodo and a businessman, owner of FMateck Limited, Abdulrasheed Yusuf, for forging contract documents.
The Spokesperson, ICPC, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua stated,”The two defendants were to have been arraigned on 24th March, 2023, before Justice Abdul Dogo of Federal High Court, Makurdi, Benue State, on a 3-count charge bordering on forging contract documents to bid for a contract at the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBDA) Makurdi, Benue State which is contrary to section 97 of the Penal Code and Section 58(1) of the Procurement Act, 2007.
“The earlier arraignment did not take place due to the absence of the second defendant, Mr. Friday Adogo, which stalled the arraignment, leading the judge, Justice A. Dogo to issue a bench warrant for his arrest for violating court proceedings. The matter was therefore adjourned to 28th March 2023.”
She added,”On resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday 28th March, the defendants, Abdulrasheed Yusuf and Friday Adodo, pleaded “not guilty” to the charge, and were granted bail by the trial judge on stringent condition.
“However, he ordered that they should be remanded in the Nigeria Correctional Service until they meet the bail conditions so that they will not jump bail.
“The case was adjourned to 20th June 2023 for hearing.
“A Superintendent with the Nigeria Correctional Service, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Mr. Eyimoga Moses, has been arraigned in court before Hon. Justice Abdul Dogo of the Federal High Court, Makurdi, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the fraudulent act of job racketeering.”
According to ICPC counsel Barr. Bako Alongs, the defendant, Eyimoga Moses, who is a Superintendent with the Nasarawa State Command of the Service, was arraigned on one-count charge of corruption before Hon. Justice Abdul Adogo, for collecting N800,000 from a couple for two vacancy slots at the Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, which Eyimoga knew was false and therefore committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charge and was admitted to bail and ordered to be remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service, Makurdi, Benue State until he meets the bail conditions.
The case was adjourned to 20th June 2023 for trial.
Hearing in two separate money laundering suits filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against British national, James Nolan, could not proceed on Wednesday at a Federal High Court, Abuja.
The matter, which was scheduled for adoption of final written addresses of parties by Justice Donatus Okorowo, suffered setback due to failure of Nolan’s counsel, Michael Ajara, to file and serve his processes on the EFCC”s lawyer, Bala Sanga.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Okorowo had, on Nov. 20, 2023, fixed today for adoption of the final addresses after Nolan, who jumped bail and fled Nigeria in the alleged 9.6 billion dollars Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Ltd scandal, opened his defence in absentia without calling any witness.
Ajara had told the judge that he did not intend to call any witness upon resumed hearing in the matter in the last adjourned date.
He said after his evaluation of the EFCC’s evidence, he would rely on the case of the prosecution and Sanga did not object, upon which the matter was fixed for today.
When the matter was called on Wednesday, Ajara had not filed their final written address.
The lawyer prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him do the needful.
The anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Christie Makar, who held Sanga’s brief, did not oppose the oral application.
Justice Okorowo consequently adjourned the matter until May 6 for adoption of final written addresses.
NAN reports that the EFCC is prosecuting Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited and Nolan in the charged marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/272/2022 as 1st and 2nd defendants in the case.
Also, the commission is also prosecuting the sister case marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2022 filed against Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Ltd, another company, and Corrado Fantoli as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively before Okorowo.
Fantoli, also a foreigner and an associate of Nolan, was one of the suspects behind the alleged $9.6 billion P&ID fraud.
The suspect, said to be at large, alongside the company, was arraigned in absentia on Nov. 25, 2022, on eight-count money laundering charge.
He was not present in court or represented by a lawyer when they were arraigned.
The court also declared him wanted and ordered for his arrest anywhere he is sighted after Sanga made application to the effect.
Fantoli and Giovanna Beccarelli, who had also been declared wanted and an arrest warrant issued against her, were said to be directors and signatories to the company’s Guaranty Trust Bank account number: 0123849451.
Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Ltd and Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited are two of the over 30 companies associated with the $9.6 billion scam.
NAN reports that other cases linked to the scandal are currently before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, Justice Zainab Abubakar of FHC, Abuja, besides other charges at FCT High Courts.
A Business and Property Court in London presided over by Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales had, in October, quashed the 11 billion dollars awarded against Nigeria in a case filed by the P&ID.
Judge Knowles held that the award was obtained by fraud and that what had happened in the case was contrary to public policy.
The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, and the Nigerien Air Force on Tuesday eliminated scores of terrorists and destroyed their hideouts in Damasak and Mobbar local government areas of Borno State.
A statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information of NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the interdictions were under the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF.
Gabkwet said the terrorists had attempted to attack troops of Sector 4 of the MNJTF at Lada, a border town between Niger Republic and Nigeria, and subsequently fled across the border into Nigeria.
He further stated that they were observed hibernating in the village with their motorcycles hidden under trees.
“Subsequently, airstrikes from the Air Component of OPHK and Nigerien Air Force, under the watchful eye of Niger’s Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, struck the terrorists’ locations.
“Real-time ISR footage later confirmed numerous terrorists were eliminated and several structures within the targeted areas destroyed.
“It has also led to the reduction in terrorism and other forms of cross-border crimes perpetrated by criminals crisis-crossing the borders to evade justice,” he added.
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