Land of fraudsters !!! ‘$1.6bn fraud’: Witness narrates how Omokore received $140m in 12 months

Ayilara Abdul, a witness, has narrated how Jide Omokore, a business associate of Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former minister of petroleum resources, used his company’s account to allegedly launder funds.

Omokore, who is chairman of Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited, was arraigned on a nine-count charge by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He was accused of allegedly diverting $1.6 billion said to be proceeds of petroleum products belonging to the federal government.

Omokore was arraigned alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, David Mbanefo, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited.

At the federal high court, Abuja, on Friday, Abdul, a compliance officer with Skye Bank Plc, narrated how an account who has Omokore and one Doyin Femi-Johnson as signatories received $140 million in 12 months (March 2013 – February 2014).

“Sometime in 2015, we got a request from EFCC, asking for information on all accounts in the name of Espidal Nigeria Limited and Marine Company Limited, that we should furnish them with the account opening package, statement of account and certificate of identification as well as bank verification number (BVN), linked to the account. This was done,” Abdul said at the resumed trial.

“And sometime last month (February 2018), the same request was received from the EFCC to furnish them with the same information. On March 8, 2013, there was a credit inflow from Atlantic Energy into this account. The amount is $15,499,950;

“On that same day, there was a transfer of $1million into Skymit account. On March 11, 2013, there was a transfer of $1,002,643.83 in favour of Skymit Limited. On March 19, 2013, there was a credit inflow of $8,600,000 by order of Atlantic. On March 12, 2013, there was an inflow of $4,999,50 by order of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept limited.

“On April 26, 2013, there was an inflow of $2million by order of Atlantic. On page 32 of the same exhibit, on May 20, 2013, there was an inflow of $1million by order of Atlantic Energy.

“On May 22, 2013, there was an inflow of $4million by order of Olajide Omokore and on the same day, there was an inflow of $2million by Kolawole Aluko. On May 31, 2013, there was an inflow of $20million dollars by order of Atlantic.

“On June 14, 2013, there was an inflow of $4million by order of Atlantic. On June 20, 2013, there was an inflow of $6million and the credit into the account was done by Olajide Jones Omokore. On June 27, 2013, there was an inflow of $2,899,940 by order of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited. On July 15, 2013, there was an inflow of $27,500,000 by order of Atlantic Energy. On July 30, 2013 there was an inflow of $11million by order of Atlantic Energy.

“On July 30, 2013 there was an inflow of $11million by order of Atlantic Energy. On February 6, 2014, there was an inflow of $34,500,000 by order of Atlantic Energy. On August 11, 2014, $1.5million was transferred in favour of Skymit Limited and on September 17, 2014, the sum of $1million was again transferred to Skymit.”

The witness added that the balance in the account as of December 1, 2015, was $95,533,71.

Nnamdi Dimgba, the judge handling the case, adjourned the matter till April 19, 26 and 27 for continuation of trial. - Cable Nigeria

Lagos rescues 7 women, 3 babies from Togolese birth attendant

Following the expiration of the two week  ultimatum  given to operators of illegal homes and orphanages in Lagos State, the enforcement team of the State Ministry  of Youth and Social Development yesterday  arrested a woman allegedly harbouring pregnant women illegally under the  guise of operating a traditional birth  maternity.

Officials of the ministry, escorted by 20  policemen from the Ajah Police Station and Area ‘J’  police Command, stormed the area at Baboon Village, Ajele.

Youth and Social  Development, Commissioner  Agboola Dabiri said the suspect  was arrested alongside a pregnant woman, three  babies and six  other women.

She  denied operating a home where children are  sold. Dabiri said the ministry was tipped off  that the suspect “keeps  young girls and ladies for the purpose of producing babies who would be sold out.”

He added:”With the help of the police, we were able  to apprehend the owner of the place identified as Bankole Regina, six other middle-aged women and three babies who were  also rescued.

“Two of the babies rescued were discovered to  be critically ill.In fact one of the babies is at the point of death.

“As we speak, we have taken over the babies in one  of our homes.The sick ones are being attended to in the hospital while the adults have been handed over to the  police for further interrogation and likely  prosecution.

“Illegal homes pose  a great risk to our state.They breed prostitution and  transmission of different diseases among others.”

The suspect said she had been operating the traditional birth maternity for over  30 years. She claimed  that the babies rescued from her were  abandoned by their mothers after delivery under the pretence of going home to take their delivery kits.

Bankole also said she registered with the Eti-Osa  Local Government as a traditional birth attendant and that she was about preparing to take a course in traditional  birth attendance .

She said one of the three babies recovered from  her place was her child and that the other two belonged to  someone else kept in her custody.

PHOTOS : Nigerian pastor arrested with tramadol, guns, N4 Million

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a Nigerian pastor known as Rev. Ignatius Ogboi of Salvation Army Church, Mbiri, suspected to be notorious kidnapper.

The police claimed that 3,871 live cartridges and a loaded English made double barrel gun were recovered from him.

The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Mustafa, said Rev. Ignatius Ogboi, 51, was sponsoring kidnappers and armed robbers operating within Agbor and Umunede and its environs.

Police command also said they recovered some prohibited drugs and over N4 million, believed to be ransom collected from kidnapped and armed robbery victims.

The cleric, who admitted ownership of the exhibits, however, denied the suspected case of kidnapping, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and prohibited drugs, including Tramadol, levelled against him.

Ogboi said he only helped the vigilantes in his community to procure the recovered items found in his possession after they complained that they were buying them at exorbitant rates elsewhere.

He said: “I am still an ordained minister of God in Christ Army Church, Umunede. The bulk of the money being paraded is very small compared to what I usually have with me if my business was still booming. I am not a kidnapper as being speculated.” - Daily Post

NDLEA nab two Drug Traffickers with Nacotics

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) command, on Friday paraded two suspected drug traffickers in possession of hard drugs valued at over N50 million.

Speaking to Reporters on the arrest, the Makia NDLEA Commander, Mr. Ambrose Umoru, said that the suspected drug traffickers were apprehended on February 17 by anti-narcotic agents attached to the airport.

He explained that the suspects were apprehended during routine inward screening of passengers onboard Ethiopian Airlines flight number ET 941.

According to him, one of the suspects, Nweke Emmanuel, (49) who hails from Ire in Idenmili South Local Government Area of Anambra state, was in possession of 2.180kg of ingested heroine which was detected during the screening exercise. .

Ambrose Umoru said, ”the suspect is a businessman and barber who is based in Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of Congo,  traveled to Bujumbura, Burundi where he ingested a total of 127 wraps of heroin.”

He identified the second suspect as Miss Olunwabusola Gloria Dumebi, (32), from Ibusa in Oshimili Local Government Area of Delta State, a stylist by profession, who was billed to board same flight with the first suspect, noting that   three kg of a whitish powdery substance suspected to be cocaine was also discovered in her possession. - The Nation

Mother sent child porn clip to warn friend of dangers, remanded in prison

A 51-year-old Nigerian mother-of-three is in trouble for forwarding a clip which showed a child being raped on WhatsApp to warn friends of dangers.

Jadesola Agbalade pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly distributing child pornography on July 20th, 2016.

According to Irish Times, Agbalade told gardaí­ she forwarded on the video clip via the messaging platform Whatsapp in a bid to warn a friend about the dangers of leaving her kids alone with her boyfriend, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The court heard Agbalade, formerly of Deerhaven Avenue, Clonee, Dublin, is currently living in temporary homeless accommodation. 

Agbalade has no previous convictions.

Judge Karen O’Connor initially heard evidence in the case in October. She said given the nature of the case it required very detailed consideration.

The court heard the clip showed a child between the ages of two and five being raped by a man. Upon further investigation, gardaí discovered it is an international clip that has been in circulation since about 2014.

“I didn’t know it wasn’t right. I’m sorry,” the woman told gardaí.

Judge Karen O’Connor ordered a probation report and remanded Agbalade on continuing bail.

Ms Agbalade was due to be sentenced on December 31, 2017 for distributing child pornography.

A statement by The UK & Ireland Database, a website that profiles child sex abusers, said: “The sentencing of a woman who forwarded a video clip of a child being raped through WhatsApp has been adjourned until March.

“Jadesola Agbalade, formerly of Deerhaven Avenue, Clonee in Dublin, was due to be sentenced this afternoon for distributing child pornography.

“She admitted forwarding the clip on to two people last year but claimed she did not realise she was doing anything wrong.

“The judge said she had received a very positive probation report but said a psychological assessment would be of great assistance.

“The defence has been given four months to furnish such a report before a sentence will be handed down.” - AF

Man jailed for attempting to kill his parents

A court in Ingolstadt, Germany on Friday sentenced a farmer to nine and a half years in prison for attempting to kill his parents with rat poison.

The district court in Ingolstadt condemned the 53-year-old on Friday for two counts of attempted murder. According to the judges, the man ordered the rat poison from China and mixed it into his elderly parents’ food at the end of 2016.

Doctors at University Hospital in Regensburg were able to save his now 77-year-old mother and 81-year-old father. The man told the court he was not a poisoner.

He admitted he had ordered the poison from China over the internet but said he immediately threw it away. The man suspected his sister committed the attack on his parents, leading the defence to request his acquittal.

The prosecution had called for twelve years in prison.

Paris Club Refund: Court Defers Ruling On Final Forfeiture Of N1.4bn To April 24

Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday,  March 2, 2018, deferred judgment in an application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC,  seeking the final forfeiture of a sum of N1,222, 384,857.84 recovered from the account of Melrose General Services Company Limited as well as another N220,000,000.00 recovered from two other companies.  

Justice Olatoregun had, on Friday, October 13, 2017, ordered an interim forfeiture of the money,  following a motion ex parte filed by the EFCC. 

The judge had also ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of N220,000,000.00 recovered from two other companies namely Wasp Networks Limited and Thebe Wellness Services.

In granting the EFCC prayers, Justice Olatoregun had ordered anyone interested in the money to appear before the court within 14 days to show cause why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The judge had also directed the Commission to publish in any newspaper for anyone who is interested in the money to appear before the court to show cause why the order for the final forfeiture should not be granted.

At today's sitting, Olawale Akoni, SAN, counsel to Melrose Services Limited, moved a motion seeking to set aside an  earlier order given by the court  for the interim forfeiture of the sum of N1,222,384,857.84( one billion two hundred and twenty- two million, three hundred and eighty- four thousand and eight hundred and fifty-seven naira eighty-four kobo) to the Federal Government.

Akoni informed the court that the money belongs to Melrose Services Limited and was paid into its account on December 14, 2016.

He further stated that it was the payment for the reconciliation of accounts of the Nigeria Governor Forum, NGF, it did for Biz Plus.

However, counsel to the prosecution,  Ekele Iheanacho, argued that it was a conspiracy with others to obtain the money from the NGF.

He also stated that a letter was sent from the EFCC and a response was received from the NGF that the job was carried out by a consortium of consultants known as GSCL Biz Plus.

Iheanacho said the report was submitted to the NGF on August 31, 2016, and forwarded as the final reconciliation of the over-deduction on foreign loan account of the states to the Ministry of Finance.

He said the NGF consequently wrote to the Ministry of Finance to pay them the agreed 5% consultancy fees that all states' governors had signed.

The prosecution counsel added that upon approval by the Presidency,  the Ministry of Finance wrote to the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay the sum of $86,546,526.65 and N 18,635,427,311.54  to the NGF.

He added: "In the cause of investigation, the EFCC recovered a bundle of the document in possession of Melrose Services Limited, where it had earlier claimed it did the job." 

"The said document was a re-copy of the work of Biz Plus. It was lifted out paragraph by paragraph from the work of Biz plus. But Melrose signed it as its own job."

"This document was never presented to the court."

"However, it was after the Interim order was made that Melrose presented another document to the court instead of the one recovered."

Iheanacho also told the court that after the order for the interim forfeiture was granted and published, one Prince Godwin Udemaduka, through his lawyer, laid claim of interest to the money.

"Udemaduka claimed to have done a consultancy job for Zamfara State Government and has not been paid."

"He is not entitled to the money, but he has aligned with others to steal the money."

"His claim is to Zamfara State Government and the claim before the court is not for debt recovery. The  money in question doesn't belong to only Zamfara State government."

"He is, therefore, not entitled to any claim," he further argued.

Consequently,  Justice deferred ruling on the final forfeiture order.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media, and Publicity

2 March, 2018

Face of a fraudster !!! N4.9bn Fraud: Court Adjourns Fani-Kayode’s N4.9bn Fraud Case To March 29

Justice Ridwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday, March 2, 2018, adjourned further hearing in a N4.9bn fraud case involving a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode and others to March 29, 2018.

Fani-Kayode is standing trial alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a company, Joint Trust Dimensions Limited, on a 17-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N4.9billion.

At today’s sitting, counsel to Fani-Kayode, Norrison Quakers, SAN, cross-examined a prosecution witness, Shedlis Gana, Branch Manager, Zenith Bank Plc, Abuja.

During the cross-examination, Quakers sought to establish a contradiction in the testimony the witness gave in the statement she made to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. 

He also sought the leave of the court to tender the statement extracted from the witness as evidence.

However, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, raised an objection to the admissibility of the statement by the court.

Oyedepo argued that the defense counsel must establish the contradiction between the testimony given in chief and the details in the statement.

Also, Fedinard Orbih, SAN, counsel to the first defendant, continued with his cross-examination of Gana, who confirmed to the court that exhibits 6, 7, 8 and 9 were all certified by the bank. 

She stated that the bank sourced for campaign accounts, as political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, organized fundraisers in the build-up to the 2015 general election.

She confirmed that exhibits 9 (pages 2-5), 8, 9, 11, 13-54 were all crossed cheques for Joint Trust Dimensions Limited.

Gana further said that there was nothing unlawful about the transactions because the bank went through a due process when the cheques were being processed.

“Each of the cheques was thoroughly analyzed,” she added.

Consequently, Justice Aikawa adjourned the matter to March 29, 2018 for a continuation of trial.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media, and Publicity

2 February, 2018 

My wife is having an affair with my herbalist – 50-year-old Man

A 50-year-old mechanic, Gafau Shogaolu, has urged an Iyana-Ipaja Customary Court, to dissolve his 25-year-old marriage to his wife, Maria, over alleged adulterous and fetish lifestyle.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Gafau, of No. 13, Sijuade St., Abesan, Ipaja Lagos, told the court that his wife once left him for another man and came back 15 years after, pleading for a second chance.

Gafou said, “My wife had a child for me before she left for another man, and came back 15 years after, begging me to take her back, which I did.

“I married another woman while she was away. When she came back, I got an apartment for her.

“I introduced her to the herbalist that took deliveries of the three children she gave birth to after she came back.

“Unknown to me, my wife went back and started having an affair with the herbalist,” he said.

Gafau told the court that he once caught his wife when she was about to enter the herbalist’s car.

“After my younger brother told me about my wife’s infidelity, I decided to keep a close watch on her. I caught her when she was about to enter the herbalist’s car.

“I reported the case at a police station and the herbalist was made to write an undertaken twice, never to call and have a secret affair with her again,” he said.

The petitioner further accused his wife of being fetish and failed in her responsibility to take care of the children.

“My wife is fetish. There was a time I found a padlock tied with a red cloth in her wardrobe.

“One of our children also found a small gourd in her wardrobe and brought it to me. My life is no longer save, please separate us,” he begged the court.

Responding, Maria, 44, a businesswoman, denied being fetish and adulterous, but admitted that the herbalist asked her out.

“I am not having an affair with the herbalist, he only asked me out and I rejected his offer. I felt it was not necessary to inform my husband about the issue.

“I am not fetish. The small gourd is not mine. I asked Michael, my younger brother, who came to pay me a visit and he said he is the owner of the small gourd,” Maria told the court.

The respondent, however, urged the court to save her marriage and reconcile her to her husband.

The President of the court, Mr Adekunle Hassan, urged the husband to allow his wife to remain in his apartment until the case is disposed off.

Hassan urged the wife to ensure that there was peace in the house, adding she would be held responsible if anything happens to her husband.

He adjourned the petition until May 22. - Daily Post