N950m Fraud: Judge rejects Shekarau’s request to attend Buhari rally

A Federal High Court in Kano on Thursday rejected the request of
a former governor of Kano, Ibrahim Shekarau, to adjourn his trial
to Friday to enable him attend President Muhammadu Buhari’s
presidential rally on Thursday (today).

The trial was earlier slated on Thursday and Friday.

Mr Shekarau is standing trial for allegedly recieving illegal
campaign funds of about N950 million in 2015.

At the commencement of the trial on Thursday, counsel to Mr
Shekarau, Jibrin Okutepa, pleaded with the court to adjourn the
matter to Friday to enable his client attend Mr Buhari’s reelection
rally in Kano

“My Lord, Mr President is coming to Kano today. My client is a
politician and wants to attend the rally,” he said.

However, the judge, Lewis Allagoa, rejected Mr Shekarau’s
request and ordered the commencement of the trial.

Turned down again
Later, Mr Okutepa moved another application seeking adjournment,
saying Mr Shekarau, being a senatorial candidate of the All
Progressive Congress (APC) ought to be at the event.

“In view of the predicament of my client who is billed to be
among the entourage of Mr President campaign rally, I want apply to
My Lord to adjourn the matter to tomorrow (Friday),” he
pleaded.

The judge rejected the request again.

Trial
When the matter was called up on Thursday, counsel to the EFCC,
Samuel Chiwe, presented a staffer of the anti-graft outfit, Mahmud
Tukur, as his first witness.

Mr Tukur told the court the EFCC received intelligence report
that N23 billion was deposited by the former Minister of Petroleum
(Allison Diezani) at the Fidelity Bank in Lagos, out of which N950
million was directed to be given to Kano PDP.

He added that the money was received by a former Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali and Mansur Ahmad on March 26, 2015, two
days to the presidential election.

“I visited Fidelity Bank Kano on April 27th, 2016 where I
interviewed the business manager, Aliyu Da’u Aliyu and operations
manager, Saheed. In the course of the interview, they confirmed
that on night of March 26th, 2015 they gave 2nd and 3rd defendants
(Aminu Wali and Mansur Ahmad) the sum of N950 million. They
provided us with the receipt of payment alongside the
identification document of the 2nd and 3rd defendants.

“We invited them, interviewed them and obtained their
statements. The 1st defendant (Mr Shekarau) wrote a statement on
May 12th, 13th and 14th, 2016, the 2nd defendant (Mr Wali) wrote a
statement on May 5th, 2016 and the 3rd defendant (Mr Ahmed) wrote a
statement on May 13th, 2019,” Mr Tukur said.

The court admitted three exhibits against the accused
persons.

They were statements obtained at EFCC, receipts of bank payment
and a letter from the bank.

The proceeding, which lasted for two hours was interrupted by
two recesses called by trial judge.

The judge then adjourned the case to Friday February 1.

Mr Shekarau was a former Minister of Education under former
President Goodluck Jonathan prior to 2015 general elections.

He is now contesting for Kano central senatorial seat under the
ruling APC.

EFCC Arrests Oyo Internet Fraudsters

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
EFCC, Ibadan zonal office have arrested 15 suspected internet
fraudsters at Ologuneru Area of the metropolitan city of Ibadan,
Oyo State.

They are, Bamidele Ayodele Samson, Bamidele Philip, Tunji
Oladapo Sowale, Bololaji Olalekan and Abdulrauf Abiodun.

Others are: Olaleye Pelumi, Anuokuwapo Olanrewaju, Paul
Damilola, Olateye David Tobi, Arewa Adekunle Ibrahim, Oyesanmi
Ayomikun Oluwaseun, Olaleye Israel, Adediran Kemisola, Omobolade
Alarape and Olowolusi Oluwatomisin.

In a sting operation led by the zonal head, Friday Ebelo, a
Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent, the suspects who are between
the ages of 21 and 35 years were taken by surprise when operatives
swept on them at one of their notorious havens in the city. Five of
them allegedly claimed to be undergraduates while the other 10
claimed to be self-employed in varied vocations.

They are already helping operatives with useful information.

The Commission got wind of their activities following series of
intelligence report, alleging that they engaged in various
fraudulent activities ranging from obtaining money by false
pretences through sending of scam emails to unsuspecting victims
mostly in the United States of America, while others were engaged
in romance scam on several dating sites.

At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered four different
models and brands of exotic cars, five laptops, 20 telephones (10
iPhones) and one small bag containing items suspected to be fetish
objects (juju) from them. Several documents, including
international passports, and ATM cards were also recovered from
them.

They will be charged to court after thorough investigation.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
…………….

Man Bags Six Months for Impersonation, N1.5m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured
the conviction of one Bidemi Adebayo, who was prosecuted before
Justice C.L. Dabup of a Plateau State High Court, sitting in Jos on
a two-count charge bordering on impersonation and obtaining by
false pretence to the tune of N1.5 million.

A petition received by the Commission regarding the matter
alleged that, sometimes in April 2015, the petitioner received an
international call from an unknown person who claimed to be her
son-in-law that resides in the United States of America, and the
impostor further claimed he is in a financial difficulty thereby
requesting for some money, with a promise to refund it later.

Believing him, the petitioner sent N1,547,000 into various
accounts provided by Adebayo.

After thorough investigation, it was discovered that he actually
opened an account with the name Adewale Moruf, using his real
passport photograph. It was the said account that some part of the
monies were paid into.

Further investigation into the matter revealed that one Dr. Mike
Ajayi, Mr. Adams and Stanley Iheohakara (all still at large) are
suspects in the matter and also benefited from the unlawful act.
Efforts are currently ongoing to track them in order to bring them
to justice.

Count one reads: “That you, Adebayo Bidemi (alias Olatunde
Adewale Moruf) on or about the 15th day of April, 2015 within the
Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did dishonestly induce one
Lami Lukden to deliver the sum of N585,000 (Five Hundred and Eighty
Five Thousand Naira) to you for a business as her in-law and
thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 322 of the
Penal Code Law, Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria 1963”.

He pleaded “guilty” to the charges.

In view of the plea, prosecuting counsel, Benjamin Mangi, urged
the court to convict the accused and sentence him accordingly.

Justice Dabup, thereafter, convicted and sentenced him to six
months in prison, with an option of N70,000 as fine.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
……………

Internet Fraudster Bags 3 Months for Impersonating US Army
Officer

Justice Modupe Adebiyi of a Federal Capital Territory, FCT High
Court, Gudu, has sentenced an internet fraudster, Peter James, to
three months in prison.

The trial judge had on January 24, 2019 convicted him on a
one-count charge of “impersonation and attempt to cheat”.

The count reads: “That you, Peter James, sometimes in 2018 at
Abuja, the Judicial Division of this Honourable Court, did attempt
to cheat by impersonating, while representing yourself on QQ
International as Barnett Edward, an army officer deployed to
Afghanistan and thereby

Committed an offence punishable under section 324 of penal code,
laws of Federation (Abuja) 1990”.

He had pleaded “guilty” to the charge.

Sentencing the convict, today, January 31, 2019, Justice
Adebiyi, however, gave him an option of N100,000 as fine, and
ordered him to write an undertaking that he will never commit any
crime again.

“The undertaking must include a good passport photograph of
him”, the judge added.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
31st January, 2019