Whistleblower

The second prosecution witness, a former Director of Information Technology of the Central Bank of Nigeria, John Ayoh, has told the Lagos High Court Sitting in Ikeja that former governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele, does not award contracts without collecting bribes. Ayoh stated this while testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi on Monday in the ongoing trial of the former Central Bank Governor on allegations of abuse of office and accepting gratification to the tune of $4.5bn and N2.8bn. According to Channels Television, Ayoh said, “That is how he operates, he will not award contracts without collecting anything”. While…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has discovered other fraudulent dealings involving COVID-19 funds, World Bank loan, Abacha recovered loot at the ministry of humanitarian affairs. In a statement on Sunday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, said the funds were released to the ministry by the federal government to execute poverty alleviation programmes. “At the outset of investigations, past and suspended officials of the Humanitarian Ministry were invited by the Commission and investigations into the alleged fraud involving them have yielded the recovery of N32.7billion and $445,000 so far,” the EFCC said. “Discreet investigations by the EFCC have…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, March 14, 2024 dragged former Kogi State governor, Yahaya Adoza Bello before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja for alleged N84billion money laundering offences, alongside his nephew Ali Bello, Dauda Sulaiman and Abdulsalam Hudu. The EFCC is prosecuting the quartet on an amended 17-count charge of money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of fund to tune of N84, 062,406,089.88 (Eighty-four Billion, Sixty-two Million, Four Hundred and Six Thousand, Eighty-nine Naira, Eighty-eight Kobo). To make way for Yahaya Bello’s inclusion in the trial, prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo,…

Justices M.S.Abubakar and R.J. Egbe of the Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State have convicted and sentenced five internet fraudsters to various jail terms. The convicts: Ibi Shedrach Suurshter, Onazi Moses Oche, Innocent Ochola and Teseer Mnenge and Agbo Lawrence were jailed after pleading guilty to one- count separate charges upon their arraignment by the Makurdi Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. The charge against Oche reads: “That you Onazi Moses Oche sometime in 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud used an access device issued to one Solomon…

Odoh Eric Ocheme has been revealed as one of the suspects wanted for allegedly forging former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature to effect the disbursement of $6,230,000 by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Ocheme, who served as Emefiele’s personal assistant, is wanted by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Recall that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, testified before a Federal High Court in Abuja that no fund was meant for the payment of foreign election observers. Mustapha said the apex bank leadership forged the former…

An investigation has revealed that at least N159.6 billion ($352 million) was paid into private accounts by various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of the Nigerian government in the last six years. The findings come amidst the ongoing suspension of Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu, who was accused of authorizing the payment of N585.2 million into a private account. The investigation, conducted by PremiumTimes based on data from Govspend, a platform tracking government spending, revealed that several MDAs made questionable payments into private accounts. The Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta tops the list…

Christine Brown, a British national and a victim of internet fraud has recovered $26,000 stolen from her by a Nigerian romance scammer. According to PM News, the money was returned on Monday to the 70 year-old Briton by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Brown expressed gratitude to the Commission for its efforts which she said, has brought some succour to her after losing her life’s savings to the fraudsters. The septuagenarian had petitioned the Commission after being defrauded by an internet fraudster through a romance scam. Narrating her ordeal, Brown said she became…