Alleged N304.1m fraud: Court adjourns trial of former NIMASA AG and two others to November 21

Olukoyede resumes work to chart new course for EFCC

The newly appointed Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede, assumed office on Thursday, 19 October 2023 with a clear agenda to reposition and refocus the Commission to achieve Optimum efficiency.

At 10.45am, the EFCC boss walked into the commission’s corporate headquarters, inspected the guard of honor and immediately met with the EFCC management.

At the meeting, Mr. Abdulkarim Chukkol, the former Acting Chairman of the EFCC handed over a handover note to him and Olukoyede gave a warm introduction to the staff and launched the agenda of reforming and revitalizing the work of the Commission.

The agenda revolves around clearer and stronger discharge of the mandate of the EFCC, creating an atmosphere of transparency and accountability in governance, emphasizing preventive strategies against corruption, full compliance with the rule of law and better welfare packages for commission staff.

“We need to address the focus of our mission. We should use the commission to drive economic development. Why should we fight crime? It is for the prosperity of the system, the development of the economy, and the progress of society. Therefore, our focus should be on developing the country to obtain better Big benefit,” he said.

On professionalism, the EFCC boss said, “We will promote professionalism in the discharge of our duties in accordance with the law. The rule of law will be our guiding light. We will move EFCC to a place where when you see the people of EFCC, you will see a hint of A place for professionalism. We will also be more involved in prevention work, because it is better to save the government money than to spend money on prosecutions.” He particularly emphasized the supremacy of the rule of law in the work of the committee, stating that “the EFCC is a product of the law. Its bill is a legal document. This means that all our activities should comply with the rule of law. We will not do anything that violates the law.” matter.”

He called on the commission’s staff to avoid dichotomy, insularity and disloyalty to themselves, the EFCC and the country, stressing that the commission was legally capable of being at the forefront of the fight against all kinds of economic and financial crimes. He guarantees a level playing field, equal career development opportunities and more generous benefits. “My first priority is improving staff welfare. We will build on what we have done before and hopefully do even better for every staff member on the council.”

The Chairman also called for greater emphasis on integrity, hard work, hard work and vision in the process of professionalism and promised to treat employees according to their level of resourcefulness.

Earlier, in his handover speech, former acting chairman Abdulkareem Chukkol thanked staff and management for their support during his tenure while congratulating the chairman on his “well-deserved appointment”.

“Indeed, I am honored to witness history as new leadership takes charge of the affairs of our great institution,” he said. He particularly thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his four months as Acting Chairman. Li trusted him to lead the EFCC. “We are grateful to the president for selecting one of our own, someone who has invested his time and wisdom in establishing the committee, to lead us. As a newbie to this system, I have no doubt that the executive chairman will do a great job,” he said. He urged Olukoyede “to work hard to preserve and strengthen the reforms and processes of the past few years that have brought some professional satisfaction to the commission’s personnel.

The Chairman then visited the facilities at the Commission’s corporate headquarters

EFCC charges Kaduna man with $800 fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Kaduna Zonal Command arraigned Simon, also known as Ryan Eggold, on October 16, 2023 before Justice A.A Isiaka of the Kaduna State High Court on charges of defrauding an American : Garri Kalish, $800 total ($800 only).

The offense contravenes section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act 2006 and is punishable under section 1(3) of the Act.

Simon was arraigned on two counts bordering on cyber crimes.

One of the counts reads: “You, Sunday Simon, also known as Ryan Eggold, male, sometime in April 2023, in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of $800 (eight hundred U.S. dollars) from a citizen of the United States of America, Garri Kalish, under the pretext of a romantic relationship, which you knew to be false, and you committed a violation of Penal Code 1( 1 )(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act 2006 and may be punished under section 1(3) of the Act”.

The suspect has pleaded not guilty to both charges.

In view of his guilty plea, prosecution counsel K. Ogunlade asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the accused to Kaduna Correctional Centre.

Meanwhile, defense lawyer K.S Istifanus made an oral bail application, which was opposed by Ogunlade.

After hearing the two lawyers, Justice Isiaka adjourned the case to October 24, 2023 to hear the bail application before ordering that the defendant be remanded in Kaduna Correctional Centre.

Simon was arrested by operatives of the EFCC Kaduna Area Command during an entrapment operation in Agwa, Trikaniya, Kaduna. During the course of the investigation, his phone was analyzed and different fake Instagram accounts and Facebook accounts were discovered in which he disguised himself as American actor Ryan Egger while chatting with unsuspecting women Germany (Ryan Eggold).

Alleged N304.1m fraud: Court adjourns trial of former NIMASA AG and two others to November 21

Justice Tijani Ringim of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, October 16, 2023, adjourned the further proceedings of the former Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to November 21, 2023. Haruna Baba Jauro and two others.

Jauro, along with Dr. Dauda Bitrus Bawa and a company, Thlumbau Enterprises Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 19 charges of theft and money laundering amounting to N304,118,500 (three hundred and four million ten thousand Eight thousand five hundred naira).

During the proceedings on Monday, the third prosecution witness, PW3, EFCC Investigator Orji Chukwuma, told the court that he had met the defendant when he was the head of the EFCC Task Force Three in Lagos.

In further testimony, he told the court that “objections were also raised as to the admissibility of the statements made by the defendant to His Excellency Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.

“My evidence was recorded in court. I also testified at the trial and was cross-examined by Olalekan Ojo of SAN.”

When asked by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, if he recalled that the above statement of the first accused was also admitted into evidence at the end of the trial and marked as Exhibits Q, Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4, in Olatoregun In the trial before the judge, witnesses answered in the affirmative.

Oyedepo therefore sought to submit as evidence to Judge Olatoregun the in-court proceedings which were admitted and marked as exhibits, including the statements made by the first defendant on January 28, 2016; October 12, 2015 Date; March 17, 2016 and March 24, 2016.

Ojo told the court he had no objection to statements that were marked as exhibits and were tendered at the trial.

Judge Ringim therefore admitted these statements and marked them as exhibits Twt1 to Twt5.

When Oyedepo asked the witness for his response to the first defendant’s allegation that his statement was not obtained voluntarily, he said the environment in which the statement was obtained was very conducive, adding that “it was in a large conference hall. He was sitting Around the Oval meeting. This is a public space and anyone can enter at any time. No one is carrying weapons into the chamber.

We all had people with us, including people from the defendant and members of my own team.

Augie continued: “Before hearing the defendant’s statement, we gave the defendant a warning. To show his understanding, his signature and date were written at the beginning and end of his speech. The statement made by the defendant in 2015 was Made in the comfort of his office at NIMASA.”

When the prosecution lawyer asked to see Exhibits T1-T5 and to show the warnings to the court, the witness read to the court all the warnings written in the statement. He also showed the court where the defendant signed and signed all statements to show that he had been warned. The witness added: “The statement ends with a report of endorsement provided to the investigative team. It contains a summary of the certification. The convention is to place the endorsement in a spaced section. The statement was not made under duress and was obtained by Olatore Judge Gong’s recognition.”

Judge Ringim adjourned the trial to November 21 and 22, 2023.