Magu meets UK authorities, begins Diezani’s extradition process

The acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, has met with National Crime Agency in
the United Kingdom to kick-start the process of extraditing a
former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke.

The EFCC said in a statement that Magu met with the UK official
on Thursday to also discuss the efforts of the commission in the
recovery of all ill-gotten assets domiciled in foreign jurisdiction
by Nigeria’s Politically Exposed Persons.

“Outside the recovery of assets, the EFCC boss in the course of
the high power meeting with officials of the NCA will also present
the commission’s position on ways to fast-track the extradition of
all PEPs who have found safe havens in foreign jurisdiction,” the
statement read in part.

Magu had explained why the anti-graft agency is bent on
extraditing all PEPs.

“For instance, speaking on the former minister of Petroleum
Resources, Mrs Deziani Alison-Madueke, whose process of extradition
from the UK has commenced, Magu explained that having waited for
three years, the Nigerian government believes that it is time to
initiate the extradition process,” the statement added.

The EFCC said apart from Diezani, there were several other
politically exposed persons who have fled the country 2015 when the
current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came on board
in May 2015.

It would be recalled that in 2017, a Federal High Court in Lagos
ordered the final forfeiture of N7.6 billion alleged loot recovered
by the Commission from the Diezani. The order of final forfeiture
to the Federal Government.

Related

Magu Urges Diasporans to Own Corruption
Fight

Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, Ibrahim Magu has appealed to Nigerians in the Diaspora to own
the fight against corruption. Magu who was speaking today, Friday,
23rd November, 2018, as a guest speaker at the Black History Month
of the School of Business and Management Studies of the Queen Mary
University of London, said for the fight against corruption to be
effectively won in Africa, the job of fighting the scourge should
not be left in the hands of the government or anti- corruption
agencies alone.

In a paper titled “Taming Corruption: The way forward for
African Development” the anti-graft czar said Africa has been
baring the grunts of corruption for so long that developmental
efforts of government gets truncated as corrupt individuals divert
public funds to private pockets.

“This presentation supports the view that corruption is one of
the factors that contributed to the current predicament of the
African continent. The World Bank estimates that about $1 trillion
are given out as bribe worldwide annually, representing about 3
percent of world GDP.

There is another dimension of corruption in Africa that is worth
mentioning because of its greater destructive potentials. This
pertains to large scale corruption perpetrated by the ruling elite,
top government bureaucrats, politicians, business men, bank
executives, captains of industries in the private sector and the
rest. For example, between 1970 and 1996, capital flight from
sub-Saharan Africa through corruption totalled $187 billion, an
amount that exceeded the external debts of the countries
involved.”

This unprecedented financial pilferage, indulged by the African
ruling elites and their domestic and foreign collaborators, Magu
opined, have produced two immediate consequences.

“Firstly, the huge amount stolen by them and taken out of the
continent and hidden in safe havens in Europe, North America, Asia
and other places have virtually crippled socio-economic development
in Africa. Secondly, the corrupt acts of these unpatriotic African
looters have grounded many private and public enterprises, pushing
some countries to the verge of financial ruin.”

According to Magu, throughout the African continent, corruption
has caused severe wastage and misallocation of resources, delayed
growth and socio-economic development through missed investment
opportunity, lowered growth and widened inequalities. Likewise,
corruption continues to decrease government revenues, undermine
private sector development and increases inefficiency in the public
sector.

Magu said these massive effect of corruption on the continent is
what should raise a concern especially as corruption now
discourages Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by creating economic
uncertainties, increasing operating costs, and distorting
incentives for investment. “Corruption is the single greatest
obstacle to economic and social development”, he added.

He thanked the organizers for choosing such a topic and for
initiation and engagement with stakeholders towards taming the
corruption monster.

“Taming corruption is, therefore, the only way forward for
Africa in its quest for economic development, political stability
and social progress. Fortunately, the task of taming corruption in
the continent is being undertaken by anti-corruption agencies
within individual African nations, and through collaboration with a
number of international agencies”, he explained.

The African Development Adviser to the Research Centre Tunde
Alabi said they chose to have Magu speak about the Nigeria’s
efforts toward eradicating corruption because of the milestone
achievements the EFCC has recorded under him.

He stated that corruption has become a cancer in Nigeria and it
requires the support of all Nigerians especially those in the
Diaspora to use their voice and network to put pressure on Nigerian
government to build a strong institution that will tackle
corruption before it kills Nigeria.

In his reaction, the Director of the Research Center, Queen Mary
University of London, Dr. Bakre Owolabi said that if Nigeria
succeeds, Africa will succeed. He added “It is the strategic policy
of the Centre for African Research, Queen Mary University of London
to look for African led solution to African problems”.

“Corruption remains the biggest problem facing Africa. The
decision to invite Mr Ibrahim Magu to deliver a lecture at Queen
Mary University is due to his record of achievements in office
despite the challenges he faces”, Owolabi said.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

EFCC Arraigns Ex-Kaduna District Head for N7m
Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned
one John Ma’aji Kwasau before Justice M.T. Tukur of a Kaduna State
High Court on a one-count charge bordering on obtaining by false
pretence.

Kwasau, who was the District Head of Duste Gaya, Kajuru Local
Government Area in Kaduna State, allegedly posed as a heir to the
estate of late Honourable M.I. Yakubu.

He had allegedly deceived Nura Muhammad into believing that he
had the mandate of the family of the deceased to legally dispose
off a landed property on their behalf.

Having duly convinced him about the interest of the family to
sell the plot of land, Nura paid him N7 million. However, he later
informed Nura that he was yet to secure the authority of the family
to sell the plot of land.

Several appeals by his victim to have his money refunded was
rebuffed, thus, Nura took his cry to the EFCC.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, John Ma’aji Kwasau
sometime in 2013, in Kajuru, Kaduna State within the Judicial
Division of the Honourable Court with intent to defraud, did obtain
the sum of N7,000,000 (Seven Million Naira) from Alhaji Nura
Muhammad under false pretence that you had the authority of the
members of Hon. Yakubu M. Ishaya’s family to dispose off their
landed property situated at Mararaba Girku, Nassarawa State, a
pretence you knew is false and you thereby committed an offence
under Section 1(1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud Related Offences
Act and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him.

Prosecuting counsel, Esmond Kogi, urged the court to fix a date
for commencement of trial.

Defence counsel, A. Maisamari, on his part, moved an application
for the bail of his client.

Justice Tukur, thereafter granted the defendant bail in the sum
of N1 million and a surety in like sum who must own a property
within the Kaduna metropolis with a certified Certificate of
Occupancy, C of O.

The case has been adjourned to January 24, 2019 for commencement
of trial.

Tony Orilade

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

23rd November, 2018