Ibrahim Magu EFCC
EFCC
Ibrahim Magu EFCC
EFCC Recovers N100mn for Kwara State
Government
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission ( EFCC) Mr Ibrahim Magu on Wednesday September 25, 2019
disclosed that the agency has recovered over one hundred million
naira for the Kwara State Government from corrupt officials in the
State.
Magu who spoke through Isyaku Sharu, the zonal head of EFCC
office in Ilorin, made the declaration during a visit to the office
of the News Agency of Nigeria in the Kwara Sate capital.
“We started our full operations in Ilorin Zonal Office sometimes
in February 2019, our operations cut across all areas, We have
recovered over one hundred million naira cash belonging to the
Kwara State Government, this money was stolen by politicians and
prominent individuals within the State.
“The Commission is not afraid of anybody, just last week, a
traditional ruler returned five million Naira, part of the monies
he benefited from the previous administration in the state,”he
stated.
The EFCC boss further revealed that “When we started our
operations in February which was the eve of the 2019 General
Elections, we started tracking vote buying which borders on
economic crime. Today, the Ilorin Zonal office of the Commission
has secured no fewer than 26 convictions while about fifteen cases
are still pending in Court ”
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity
…………………….
Alleged N978.4m Oil Fraud: Court Remands Nadabo Energy Boss In
Prison Custody
…Defence lawyer gives damning allegation against client, withdraws
from case
Justice Christopher A. Balogun of the State High Court sitting
at the Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, Onikan, Lagos, on Wednesday,
September 25, 2019, remanded Abubakar Ali Peters, Chairman, Nadabo
Energy Limited, in prison for plotting to evade trial and abscond
from the country.
Peters is standing trial on a 27-count charge bordering on
obtaining by false pretence, forgery and use of forged documents to
the tune of N978, 401, 732, 09(Nine Hundred and Seventy-eight
Million, Four Hundred and One Thousand, Seven Hundred and
Thirty-two Naira, Nine Kobo (N978, 401, 732, 09) brought against
him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The defendant allegedly defrauded the Federal Government of the
said sum of money by supplying 6, 505,140. 04 litres of Petroleum
Motor Spirit, PMS, instead of 19,488, 992 litres, being the
quantity he was contracted to supply.
The defendant also allegedly forged the documents that were used
to procure the product in order to conceal the exact amount he paid
for it and receive in excess money for the product supplied.
At the resumed sitting today, the defence counsel, Emefo Etudo,
sought to withdraw from the case on the grounds that his client was
planning to jeopardize the case and abscond from the country.
Etudo, in a sworn affidavit, also told the court he urged his
client to pay back the money upon realizing that he had defrauded
the Federal Government.
“My Lord, he agreed to pay the money and subsequently made some
payments.
“He, however, stopped at some point.
“He also informed me of his plans to abscond from the country
without paying back in full the money he obtained under false
pretence,” Etudo stated.
The defence counsel, in his further submission, told the court
that his client was planning to frustrate a similar case after
receiving money from parties involved.
“My Lord, my client forged his signature on the Corporate
Affairs Commission, CAC, documents and gave damaging false
information about me and other lawyers involved in the case.
“He is involved in three oil subsidy cases, although the EFCC is
only aware of two of them.
“The total money belonging to the Federal Government of Nigeria,
which was siphoned abroad, is about N2billion,” he further told the
court.
The defence counsel, therefore, urged the court to permit him to
withdraw from the case, saying “the defendant is a threat to
national security and will abscond if he continues on the bail he
was granted by the court.”
The prosecution counsel, S.K. Atteh, did not oppose the prayers
of the defence counsel.
Justice Balogun granted the defence counsel leave to withdraw from
the case based on the serious allegations levelled against his
client.
The Judge also vacated all the undertakings made on behalf of
the defendant by the counsel’s law firm since he could no longer
assure the court that he is in a position to produce the defendant
at his trial.
Consequently, Justice Balogun remanded the defendant in prison
custody and adjourned the case to October 15, 2019 for continuation
of hearing.
Wilson Uwujaren
Head, Media & Publicity