TNN.ng: EFCC

Eating His Vomits? Daniel Deletes Tweets Slamming Soyinka

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<b>LAGOS, NIGERIA - In what could be termed an attempt at eating his vomits, the former Governor of Ogun State Otunba Gbenga Daniel has deleted his tweets disparaging the person of the Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka.</b></div>
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Daniel had earlier today in a series of tweets numbered 1-15 <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/08/obasanjo-was-right-calling-you-wine.html">slammed Soyinka over his (Soyinka's) comments about him (Daniel) in an interview he granted Zero Tolerance, a magazine of the EFCC</a>.</div>
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However, three hours after the tweets became public knowledge, a check on @JustusOGD - Otunba Dabiel's official twitter handle - reveals that only number 14 remains on the timeline, thus signifying that tweets 1 -13,15 and 16 have been pulled down.</div>
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Meanwhile, the full tweets had been storified by a Goldengem as screenshot below:</div>
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Eating His Vomits? Daniel Deletes Tweets Slamming Soyinka

LAGOS, NIGERIA - In what could be termed an attempt at eating his vomits, the former Governor of Ogun State Otunba Gbenga Daniel has de...

EFCC Foils Plot to Steal Seized $2.1m NHIS Cash

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<b>LAGOS, NIGERIA - Two persons have made separate attempts to claim the $2.1m (about ₦418million) cash seized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).</b></div>
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The NDLEA had on July 3 intercepted the cash which was being conveyed by a bureau de change operator, Mr. Ibiteye John Bamidele.</div>
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The anti-narcotics agency had suspected the bureau de change operator of laundering the money.</div>
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Following his confession that he was on money laundering errand allegedly for a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Olufemi Thomas, the NDLEA had on July 8 handed over the suspect and the cash to the EFCC.</div>
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Investigations by <a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/efcc-foils-plot-to-steal-seized-2-1m-nhis-cash/">SUNDAY PUNCH</a> on Saturday reveal that two different persons have showed up at the Lagos office of the EFCC to claim the cash.</div>
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<i>Punch </i>correspondent learnt that one of the impostors, a man, who showed up to claim ownership of the money, later confessed to EFCC operatives that he was hired by some persons he didn't name to retrieve the money from the commission.</div>
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His claim was said to have been punctured by the EFCC team and he was subsequently arrested.</div>
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Similarly, a lady was also said to have appeared at the Lagos office of the EFCC, claiming that she was the one that gave Bamidele the money.</div>
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The lady was said to have made repeated calls to the supposed owner of the money who failed to fulfil his promise that he would meet her at the EFCC office.</div>
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When she realised that her partner had failed her with the refusal to appear at the commission, she was also said to have pleaded for mercy especially when the operatives confronted her with facts from Bamidele.</div>
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A top officer of the EFCC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: </div>
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Another thing you must know about this drama is that the commission has foiled some attempts to retrieve the money. </blockquote>
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From the time the case was handed over to the commission on July 8, 2015 to date, two people have come forward to claim the money. </blockquote>
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A few days after the money was handed over to the EFCC, a man came to the office to claim the money but when he was grilled, he contradicted himself. In fact, he said he was hired by some persons to claim and retrieve the money from the commission. </blockquote>
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Apart from the man, another woman showed up the following day to claim that she was the one who gave Bamidele the money. </blockquote>
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According to her claim, the money was proceeds of an investment which was liquidated with a bank and was intended to be used to purchase a property for the construction of a cardiac centre. </blockquote>
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However, her claim fell through when operatives confronted her. The bureau de change operator who was caught with the money did not mention her name. Then she realised that she wasn't going anywhere with her lies, she started pleading for mercy.</blockquote>
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EFCC Foils Plot to Steal Seized $2.1m NHIS Cash

LAGOS, NIGERIA - Two persons have made separate attempts to claim the $2.1m (about ₦418million) cash seized by the National Drug Law En...

$2.1 Million Seized Cash: Ex-NHIS Boss Surrenders To EFCC

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<b>ABUJA, NIGERIA - A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Olufemi Thomas, has surrendered to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for interrogation on the alleged seizure of $2.1million cash.</b></div>
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The EFCC had threatened to declare him wanted after efforts to locate him both in Lagos and Abuja proved abortive.</div>
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Thomas had denied ownership of the said cash and claimed yesterday that he was never on the run as reported by the media.</div>
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The EFCC is however continuing with its investigation of the matter and may invite a former Minister of Health for questioning on how NHIS paid ₦990million for a plot of land estimated at ₦350million, while Thomas was in office.</div>
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Thomas reportedly arrived Abuja on Thursday night and reported at the EFCC headquarters, Abuja early Friday.</div>
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He was said to have been grilled for several hours by the agency after which his media aide, Mr. Sola Adeyemi, issued a statement describing him as "a law-abiding person, a true professional and a man of his words."</div>
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He said: </div>
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Today (Friday), we were at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja in reaction to media reports that Dr. Thomas was wanted by the anti-graft agency in connection with a $2.1million cash seizure, where my boss made an official statement on the allegation of money laundering. </blockquote>
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This shows that he was never on the run, and he would never do anything against the law of the land. He has gone to answer the EFCC call. So we believe my boss’ visit will put to rest all these allegations and help the anti-graft agency in their further investigation of the matter. Therefore, until the investigation is concluded, we would not speak on this matter.</blockquote>
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Adeyemi appealed to the media to "maintain a high level of professionalism in the discharge of your duties in order that the anti-graft agency can focus on a thorough investigation on the various allegations."</div>
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According to <b><i>The Nation,</i></b> a reliable source in the commission said the former Executive Secretary of NHIS voluntarily came to the EFCC office for interrogation on the seized cash.</div>
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"We have interacted with him and we asked him to make statement accordingly on what he knew about the cash," the source said.</div>
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"We also grilled him on the relationship between him and the Bureau de Change operator, Ibiteye John Bamidele, who was <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/07/man-nabbed-at-lagos-airport-with-fake.html">arrested with the money by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency </a>(NDLEA).</div>
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"We are proceeding with the next stage to investigate issues highlighted from the submissions of the two people. There are other clues we are also considering too.</div>
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"The ex-NHIS is on administrative bail and he has given assurance that he would report to the EFCC anytime he is needed."</div>
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$2.1 Million Seized Cash: Ex-NHIS Boss Surrenders To EFCC

ABUJA, NIGERIA - A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Dr. Olufemi Thomas, has surrendered to th...

EFCC To Begin Probe Of Jonathan's Ministers, Aides

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<b>ABUJA, NIGERIA - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to commence the probe of the former President Goodluck Jonathan with investigations into the financial transactions of his ministers and aides.</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.punchng.com/news/efcc-set-to-probe-jonathans-ministers-aides/">The PUNCH</a></b> learnt that the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde, had already directed that all petitions against former public officers at the federal level should be forwarded to him to be acted upon.</div>
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Findings showed that former ministers, special advisers, heads of parastatals and those of other Federal Government agencies would be invited for interrogation by the EFCC in few weeks from now.</div>
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Our correspondents learnt that the anti-graft agency would focus on those whose establishments attracted huge allocations from the Federal Government when Jonathan was in power.</div>
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Such ministries and agencies, it was learnt, included defence, petroleum resources and power.</div>
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Three top sources in the anti-graft agency confided in one of our correspondents that Lamorde was "determined to expose any corrupt act during the administration of the former President."</div>
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One of the sources, who confided in one of our correspondents, explained that anti-graft operatives had yet to arrest any of the former ministers, special advisers and heads of agencies who served under the former President.</div>
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The source said, “I am not aware of anybody who has been summoned or interrogated by the commission. Those to be interrogated would be determined by the gravity of the allegations against them as contained in the petitions.</div>
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"What happened last week was that a directive was issued to move all petitions against public office holders under the former President to the office of the Chairman.</div>
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"The files will be studied and assigned to units to handle the investigations. It is based on the petitions that people will be summoned.</div>
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"Most likely next week, action would be taken on those petitions…"</div>
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But the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwajaren, denied knowledge of such a directive when one of our correspondents contacted him on the telephone on Monday.</div>
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"I am not aware of the directive you are talking about. It is not to my knowledge," the agency's spokesman said.</div>
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Reacting to the development, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Abdullahi Jalo, said the party was not afraid of a probe.</div>
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According to him, the party and former President Goodluck Jonathan have nothing to hide, saying all the party is asking for is that any probe must be within the ambit of the law.</div>
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Jalo said the PDP as a political party discharged its duty of providing leadership for Nigeria for 16 years and that it did so transparently.</div>
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He said: "I am sure Nigerians still remember that it was because of PDP's desire to deal with the scourge of corruption that our government under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo established the EFCC and the ICPC. The records are there.</div>
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"All we are asking for is that there must be fairness and justice, whatever probe they want to carry out must have respect for the rule of law, good conscience and the fear of God.</div>
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"Such a probe must not be carried out based on vendetta or simply because somebody does not like the name or the face of somebody."</div>
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Jalo also advised the All Progressives Congress-led administration to pay more attention to providing leadership to Nigeria, "rather than dissipating energy in the pursuit of trivialities."</div>
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The Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had in an interview last week, said <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/07/interview-buhari-will-probe-jonathan.html">President Muhammadu Buhari would probe Jonathan's government</a>.</div>
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He had said that the present administration would recover billions of dollars, adding that "the world is too small a place for anybody to hide if you are running from justice."</div>
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"It doesn't mean that anybody that has ill-gotten wealth will not regurgitate it. They will. Remember when he (Buhari) went to Germany for the G7 summit, he met with President Obama and Obama told him to just give us information on where the loot is hidden and we will help you recover it and the government has been working on that. So, that shows that looters will never go free," he had said.</div>
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Operatives of the <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/07/alert-sss-operatives-surround-ex-nsa.html">Department of State Services had invaded the houses of Jonathan's National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.)</a> on Friday forcing the former NSA to a house arrest for 24 hours.</div>
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The security agency in <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/07/why-we-searched-ex-nsa-sambo-dasukis.html">a statement the following day accused Dasuki of felony, misuse of power and possession of destructive weapons</a>.</div>
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It said it recovered from Dasuki's home seven high calibre rifles (high assault weapons), several magazines, military related gear and 12 new vehicles, including five bulletproof cars.</div>
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A top officer of the DSS had confided in one of our correspondents that Dasuki would face further interrogations this week.</div>
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Also, the <a href="http://nigerianewsroom.blogspot.com/2015/07/dss-arrests-detains-cso-to-ex-president.html">ex-President's Chief Security Officer, Gordon Obua, was being detained as part of investigations into the security spending at the Presidential Villa during his time</a>.</div>
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A lawyer to Obua has raised the alarm about the detention of his client.</div>
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The lawyer, Onochie Onwuegbuna, said in a statement that Obua had been in detention since July 16 without being told what offence he committed.</div>
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EFCC To Begin Probe Of Jonathan's Ministers, Aides

ABUJA, NIGERIA - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has concluded plans to commence the probe of the former President ...

₦6.2 Billion Pension Fraud: EFCC Slams 24-Count Charge On Oronsaye

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt5o_hjwIb8SxBX5E63wz0wy1Xn-Xa6K89jJz3mFn8hTa3ZXEtQZajxluqEW9dMP1Pka4ihQvpAY8IqFZX9EyPjoJAspBwxK1YyhUQtfTwCdl8KrL0QuRyjwXEc9aDMXB8Bvy2j2v4pQn/s1600/steve_oronsanye_826288611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt5o_hjwIb8SxBX5E63wz0wy1Xn-Xa6K89jJz3mFn8hTa3ZXEtQZajxluqEW9dMP1Pka4ihQvpAY8IqFZX9EyPjoJAspBwxK1YyhUQtfTwCdl8KrL0QuRyjwXEc9aDMXB8Bvy2j2v4pQn/s1600/steve_oronsanye_826288611.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>ABUJA, NIGERIA - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday slammed a 24-count charge of stealing on the former Head of Service of the Federation (HOS), Steve Oronsaye, and two others.</b></div>
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The charges brought against the former HOS and two other accomplices border on stealing and obtaining by false pretence, otherwise known as 419.</div>
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We understand that Mr. Oronsaye and his two accomplices would be arraigned in court on Monday.</div>
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Already, the case has been assigned to Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.</div>
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Mr. Oronsaye was arrested by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday on allegations of corruption.</div>
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He, however, ran into fresh trouble when new allegations emerged that he was engaged in theft and money laundering.</div>
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The commission had granted him administrative bail and ordered him to report for further interrogation Friday.</div>
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After hours of rigorous questioning by top officials of the commission, the 24-count charges were drawn up against him.</div>
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PREMIUM TIMES had in December 15, 2013 exclusively reported how Mr. Oronsaye and other top directors of the Nigerian civil service colluded to allegedly defraud the nation of ₦6.2 billion pension fund.</div>
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The fund, allegedly stolen through a maze of bogus contracts, was meant for biometric enrollment and payment for computer accessories that were never supplied, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.</div>
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Mr. Oronsaye, 64, was appointed the Head of the Nigerian Civil Service in 2009.</div>
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A reliable source at the commission had at the time said that between 2009 and 2010, almost ₦6 billion in fake contracts were awarded and paid for under Mr. Oronsaye's supervision.</div>
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<b>THE FRAUD</b></div>
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According to the EFCC, Innovative Solutions and Project Limited, a company allegedly handpicked by Mr. Oronsaye, received a contract of ₦63 million for biometric data capture.</div>
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The contract, however, served as a conduit through which three individuals and five companies got ₦705,368,245.</div>
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Other companies which had no contract to participate in the biometric data capture exercise but were paid include Frederick Hamilton Global Limited, who received ₦119,398,500; Xangee Technologies got ₦153,146,719; Fatidek Venture received ₦30,056,000; while Obanlado Enterprises was paid ₦96,765,400.</div>
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During its investigations, the EFCC uncovered how Phina Chidi, a Deputy Director in the Pension Account at the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, OHCSF, who had given a written statement to the commission in January 2011, disclosed to the agency how she was made to shop for companies that would execute contracts and make returns to Mr. Oronsaye.</div>
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"I was asked by Dr. Shuaibu (Teildi Shuaibu, Director, Pension Account) to shop for company names to execute our contracts, proceeds of which should be given to Mr. Stephen Oronsaye the then Head of Service," Mrs. Chidi said in her statement.</div>
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Mrs. Chidi also detailed how the proceeds of such deals were kept in the accounts of two banks before Mr. Shuaibu helped to transfer them to Mr. Oronsaye.</div>
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Individuals who benefitted from the string of payments, allegedly made on the eve of Mr. Oronsaye's retirement as Head of Service, include Kate Chinwe Obiekwe, Ibrahim Abdulkarim and Mohammed Abdullahi Ahmed who were paid ₦56,612,585; ₦80,108,640 and ₦23,760 respectively.</div>
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The trio, who are officials of the OHCSF Pension, received the "collective allowance" – allowances paid out to an officer of the OHCSF for distribution to other staff who are supposedly meant to be on a trip, contrary to Federal Government directives on e-payment.</div>
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Others who also benefited from the payments include Innovative Solutions and Project Limited and Vivians Ebony Nigeria Enterprise.</div>
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The former is said to have a ₦63 million worth of contract with the Office of the Head of Service but its emergence as the preferred contractor is in breach of the procurement process since the contact for the biometric exercise was not advertised.</div>
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Also, a Certificate of no-objection was not obtained by the Office of the Head of Service from the Bureau of Public Procurement, BPP, although Mr. Oronsaye allegedly indicated in his statement before the EFCC that he made an informal request to the BPP about the process involved.</div>
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Apart from breaching the procurement process, the contract awarded to Innovative Solutions and Project Limited was also fraught with a series of irregular and inflated payments made to the company, according to the EFCC.</div>
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Robert Ikhaziboh, the Chief Executive of the company, admitted to EFCC investigators that he was instructed by one Osarenkhoe Afe, an IT consultant and nominee of Mr. Oronsaye as member of the Pension Reform Committee, to work with two companies – Upstrach Communication and Federick Hamilton Global Limited – with specific instructions on the amount to pay the companies whenever he received payment.</div>
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When questioned by the EFCC, Mr. Afe stated that Frederick Hamilton was paid ₦289.05 million for its contract, out of which he got ₦35 million and Mr. Oronsaye received ₦250 million through third parties. Mr. Afe stated that he was willing to make a refund.</div>
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Under questioning by the EFCC on December 7, <b><a href="http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/186461-efcc-slams-24-count-charge-of-stealing-419-on-former-head-of-service-steve-oronsaye.html">PREMIUM TIMES</a></b> learnt, Mr. Oronsaye claimed ignorance of some of the companies that received bogus payments and traced back to him.</div>
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He also claimed ignorance of Xangee Technologies, Fatidek Ventures and Obalano Enterprises and said he never approved any payment to them.</div>
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However, when provided with evidences of payments to these companies, Mr. Oronsaye became silent; sources at the commission said.</div>
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There are fresh allegations of money laundering against the former Head of Service as reported by PREMIUM TIMES here:</div>
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<a href="http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/168159-investigation-auditor-generals-report-indicts-ex-head-of-service-oronsaye-for-n123billion-fraud.html">INVESTIGATION: Auditor General’s Report Indicts Ex-Head of Service, Oronsaye, for ₦123billion fraud</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/186396-oronsaye-in-fresh-trouble-over-new-allegations-of-theft-money-laundering.html">Oronsaye in fresh trouble over new allegations of theft, money laundering</a></div>
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₦6.2 Billion Pension Fraud: EFCC Slams 24-Count Charge On Oronsaye

ABUJA, NIGERIA - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday slammed a 24-count charge of stealing on the former Head...

Court Remands Ex-Governor Lamido, 2 Sons In Prison Till Sept 28

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7E5xr5SyeGWNLhz-qf4Sq4_qeW7z_Eh-6zhl6I_DUfSM8_sxUO2v2VULfRuCt6JtqFK1FvUD7APKri6zxcQ3x7jFlv2VYU8rRAWFhK-Vjfc1CrVqiILsH51WLoOqwVsXUdAuqrkOnc1sM/s1600/lamido-and-sons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7E5xr5SyeGWNLhz-qf4Sq4_qeW7z_Eh-6zhl6I_DUfSM8_sxUO2v2VULfRuCt6JtqFK1FvUD7APKri6zxcQ3x7jFlv2VYU8rRAWFhK-Vjfc1CrVqiILsH51WLoOqwVsXUdAuqrkOnc1sM/s1600/lamido-and-sons.png" /></a></div>
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<b>KANO, NIGERIA - A federal court has ordered a former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, accused of fraud, to be remanded in prison custody in Kano till September 28.</b></div>
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The former governor was arraigned on Thursday alongside his children for receiving ₦1.35 billion kickback from a government contractor.</div>
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The money was paid into accounts controlled by the governor and his sons.</div>
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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused the trio of money laundering, amongst other charges.</div>
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They were due for arraignment Wednesday, but the court appearance was rescheduled to Thursday.</div>
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Security was stepped up around the court vicinity in Kano ahead of the hearing Thursday.</div>
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Delivering her judgement, Justice Evelyn Anyadike ruled that the four accused persons be remanded in a Kano Prison Custody because the EFCC said they lacked enough facilities to accommodate them.</div>
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She rejected the pleas of defense counsel, Effiong Effiong (SAN) that the accused by kept at EFCC custody, saying the commission had complained of adequate facilities.</div>
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Twenty-eight count charge bordering on a number of alleged breach of trust by Sule Lamido, Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido and one Aminu Wada Abubakar, was read in the court.</div>
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The case involved ₦1.351 billion.</div>
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The judge ruled that the accused persons be remanded pending the hearing of their bail applications.</div>
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Earlier, the defense counsel, Mr. Effiong had argued that remanding the accused persons in prison will amount to trampling on their fundamental human rights.</div>
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He pleaded they be sent to EFCC facilities.</div>
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However, the counsel to EFCC, Chile Okoroma, objected to the plea saying their (EFCC's) facilities were full to capacity both in Kano and Abuja.</div>
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The case was adjourned to 28 September for ruling on bail application.</div>
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There was pandemonium in court between those supporting Mr. Lamido and those against, leading police to fire into the air to disperse the crowd.</div>
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Court Remands Ex-Governor Lamido, 2 Sons In Prison Till Sept 28

KANO, NIGERIA - A federal court has ordered a former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, accused ...

[JUST IN]: Fani-Kayode Cleared Of Money Laundering Charges

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMEKeHjxzrzOwevQhqXlaollNVuYIXNTXTiGleyTcO0TJjxfQR04A-1SowaAmsg2ghbG3BTwH9QdRTy56FB2bJvPrMhMJIfNwxVKyrOavMML32CtiR92E_waCfn5YEj-z4hyUhEA0MXo2/s1600/Fani-Kayode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMEKeHjxzrzOwevQhqXlaollNVuYIXNTXTiGleyTcO0TJjxfQR04A-1SowaAmsg2ghbG3BTwH9QdRTy56FB2bJvPrMhMJIfNwxVKyrOavMML32CtiR92E_waCfn5YEj-z4hyUhEA0MXo2/s640/Fani-Kayode.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>LAGOS, NIGERIA - A Federal High Court in Lagos has discharged and acquitted a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, of corruption charges.</b></div>
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In her judgment, the judge, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, said the prosecution’s case was "feeble" and failed to provide "copious evidence" linking Mr. Fani-Kayode to money laundering.</div>
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Mr. Fani-Kayode, whose trial began in 2008 before Justice Ramat Mohammed, was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly laundering about ₦100 million while he was Minister of Culture and Tourism and subsequently, Aviation Minister.</div>
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The allegedly laundered sum was, however, reduced to ₦2.1million on November 17, 2014 after the court dismissed 38 of the 40-count charge levelled against Mr. Fani-Kayode for want of proof. The EFCC prosecutor, Festus Keyamo, while urging the court to uphold the remaining two counts and to accordingly convict Mr. Fani-Kayode, said the former minister failed to exonerate himself of the allegations.</div>
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Mr. Keyamo pointed out that the object of the charge was that Mr. Fani-Kayode transacted in cash sums above ₦500,000, which was the threshold stipulated by the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.</div>
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Mr. Keyamo had argued that Mr. Fani-Kayode admitted making such transactions in his confessional statement of Dec. 22, 2008 made to the EFCC.</div>
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Mr. Keyamo had argued that the prosecution had discharged its duty once it established that Mr. Fani-Kayode transacted in large sums above the Money Laundering threshold, adding that it was left for Mr. Fani-Kayode to explain the source of the money.</div>
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“Once you cannot explain the source of the large sum of money found on you, you are guilty of money laundering. If the prosecution must show where the money is coming from, then the whole essence of the money laundering law is defeated.</div>
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“It is not in all cases that the burden of proof lies on the prosecution; the burden at this point shifts to the accused person,” Mr. Keyamo argued.</div>
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But Mr. Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), in his summary argument, maintained that Mr. Fani-Kayode made no confession to the EFCC, adding that the anti-graft agency failed to show that Mr. Fani-Kayode actually accepted a cash sum of N1million as alleged.</div>
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Mr. Adedipe said the EFCC also failed to show to the court the person who handed the cash sum to the accused person.</div>
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He said for the case of the prosecution to succeed, it had to be proven beyond reasonable doubts.</div>
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[JUST IN]: Fani-Kayode Cleared Of Money Laundering Charges

LAGOS, NIGERIA - A Federal High Court in Lagos has discharged and acquitted a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, of corruption...

6 CBN Staff, 16 Others Face Trial Over ₦8 Billion Briquetting Fraud

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPnLV5Sn-rtcVWCJof6drkZ38Qj0xGIrvQzNk_c_yq-gChrO2Oe4gcLS8xYbZL1GzZ7P12lhxnVNz9wv3k6byMMHMdwVMTm_YxtyY7XIsIz7F2KTqq9soqYuCWF3-yKjDZ70h1LWA5jM4/s1600/CBN+Thieves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPnLV5Sn-rtcVWCJof6drkZ38Qj0xGIrvQzNk_c_yq-gChrO2Oe4gcLS8xYbZL1GzZ7P12lhxnVNz9wv3k6byMMHMdwVMTm_YxtyY7XIsIz7F2KTqq9soqYuCWF3-yKjDZ70h1LWA5jM4/s1600/CBN+Thieves.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Six Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials and 16 others from some commercial banks are to face trial for alleged ₦8 billion fraud, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday.</b></div>
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The suspects, the agency alleged, stole and recirculated defaced and mutilated currencies.</div>
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A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said: "The suspects drawn from various business units of the apex bank are to be arraigned by the anti-graft agency before a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, from Tuesday June 2, 2015 to Thursday June 4, 2015.</div>
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"They include Patience Okoro Eye (Abuja), Afolabi Olufemi (Lagos), Kolawole Babalola (Ibadan), Olaniran Muniru Adeola (Ibadan), Fatai Yusuf Adekunle (Head of Security, CBN Ibadan) and Ilori Adekunle Sunday (Akure).</div>
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"The remaining 16 suspects are drawn from various commercial banks who were found to have conspired with the CBN executives to swing the heist.</div>
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"All the suspects who are currently in the custody of the EFCC are now ruing the day they literally allowed greed and craze for materialism to becloud their sense of judgment and responsibility, when they elected to help themselves to tons of defaced Naira notes.</div>
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"Instead of carrying out the statutory instruction to destroy the currency, they substituted it with newspapers neatly cut to Naira sizes and proceeded to recycle the defaced and mutilated currency.</div>
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"The fraud is partly to blame for the failure of government monetary policy over the years as currency mop-up exercises by the apex bank failed to check the inflationary pressure on the economy."</div>
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The commission gave further details on how the fraud was perpetrated by the suspects.</div>
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The statement added: "The lid on the scam, which is widely suspected to have gone on unchecked for years, was blown on November 3, 2014 via a petition to the EFCC alleging that over ₦6,575,549,370 was cornered and discreetly recycled by light fingered top executives of the CBN at the Ibadan branch.</div>
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"The suspects, who were members of the Briquetting Panel, plotted their way to infamy on September 8, 2014 while carrying out a Briquetting exercise at the CBN Branch, Ibadan.</div>
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"In banking parlance, Briquetting is disintegration and destruction of counted and audited dirty notes. By this practice, depositor banks usually take mutilated notes to the CBN in exchange for fresh notes equivalent of the amount deposited.</div>
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"The depositor banks, in this instance, are Zenith Bank, FCMB, Wema Bank, Access Bank, First Bank, Skye Bank, Ecobank and Sterling Bank</div>
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"But while carrying out the assignment, the team was alleged to have found one of the currency boxes filled only with old newspapers rather than 20 bundles of ₦1000 notes.</div>
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A similar case, according to investigation, had been discovered on September 22, 2014 when a box that was supposed to contain ₦500 notes to the tune of ₦5billion was filled with old newspapers.</div>
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"Unlike in the past, this fraud could not be swept under the carpet, as a member of the Briquetting Panel from the Osogbo branch blew the lid on the illicit deal.</div>
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"In a statement, the informant stated that the exercise was designed to last between August 4 and 8, 2014. The 35-year-old, however, stated that she discovered a strange 'sight' while opening the third box on the second day of the exercise.   It was a discovery that beat her ken.</div>
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"She added that she confronted the other members of the panel, including Eye, who was the Head of the Briquetting Panel; Treasury Assistant; Coordinator and Head of Security at CBN Ibadan, who all assured her that they would look into it.</div>
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"But she later found out that it was all a ruse. She said she later found out that Eye not only maintained sealed lips over the matter but omitted it from her report.</div>
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"A five-count charge awaits the suspects."</div>
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6 CBN Staff, 16 Others Face Trial Over ₦8 Billion Briquetting Fraud

Six Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) officials and 16 others from some commercial banks are to face trial for alleged ₦8 billion fraud, th...

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