EFCC: Whistleblower Policy Has Led to Recovery of N17bn In 4 months – Ibrahim Magu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has recovered over N17 billion within the past four months. Acting chairman of the commission Ibrahim Magu summed up the agency’s recoveries when he spoke at the 2017 Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) Week/Award Day on Saturday at the FCT Archive Building, Abuja.”Apart from several other recoveries running into several billions of naira, the recent whistleblower policy has led to the recovery by EFCC of N521,815,000.00, $53,272 747.00, £122,890.00, and €547,730.00,” the EFCC boss said.The anti-graft body’s chief also disclosed to the gathering that the commission recorded 62 convictions in the first quarter of 2017.

EFCC Discovered N6bn Belongs to Niger State – Gov. Abubakar Bello

Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger on Friday said that the N6 billion discovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as proceeds of crime were stolen from Niger State Government account.The governor made this known to newsmen after joining President Muhammadu Buhari and hundreds of other Muslim faithful to perform the 2-raka’at Juma’at prayer, at the Aso Rock Mosque, Abuja.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC uncovered two bank accounts containing N2 billion suspected to be the proceeds of crime.Mr Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, said the money which belonged to a former deputy governorship candidate in Niger State, was discovered following a tip-off by a whistle-blower.The governor, however, disclosed that an additional N2 billion had been uncovered by the EFCC from the same source, bringing the total amount of the discovery funds to N6 billion.According to Bello, the funds are believed to have been siphoned by the suspects through inflated Hajj subsidies offered by the state government to Pilgrims within the periods he (suspect) served as the Chairman of the Niger State Pilgrims’ Agency.The governor, who commended the EFCC for its efforts in recovering stolen funds, expressed the hope that the recovered N6 billion would be transferred to the state’s accounts to enable his administration embark on developmental projects.
He also acknowledged the efforts of the EFCC towards the recovery of the misappropriated ecological funds by the previous administration in the state.“I’m aware that the EFCC is investigating the ecological funds. At the inception of this administration we realised that the ecological funds disappeared.“I did not have any evidence that it was utilised to address any ecological issues and we are faced with major ecological problems especially in Mokwa, Agaie, Bida, part of Minna, Rafin Gora and Mariga.“We are doing our best to address the ecological problems. We need funds and unfortunately the N2 billion that was given to the state was not judiciously used to address the ecological challenges.“If it had been used properly maybe our burden might have been reduced by now, but we are having sleepless nights over ecological issues and we are still approaching the Federal Government to assist us,’’ he added.On the discovery of some deposit of Hydro-Carbon and other solid minerals in the state, the governor called for a speedy presidential intervention to hasten their exploration and exploitation.Bello expressed delight over the state of the health conditions of President Buhari, saying that:“I’m in the State House to check and we prayed together and he is doing very well.“I’m happy that I saw him today.’’(NAN)

Court Orders Forfeiture of N449m Found in BDC Shop to FG

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the temporary forfeiture of the sum of N449,750,000 found in an abandoned Bureau de Change shop in Victoria Island by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.The forfeiture order was made by Justice Rilawan Aikawa following an ex parte application taken before him by the anti-graft agency.An investigator with the EFCC, Moses Awolusi, said in the affidavit filed before the judge that the shop numbered LS64, located on at Legico Shopping Plaza, at Victoria island, Lagos had not been opened for two years.Awolusi said the money was found on April 7, 2017 in several “Ghana Must Go” sacks, adding that the EFCC recovered the money after investigating intelligence information received on one Mohammed Tauheed.According to the investigator, Tauheed allegedly conspired with the owner of the abandoned shop to launder the money.Awolusi said Tauheed had earlier been brought to the EFCC office by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Legico shopping Plaza, Mr. Sulaiman Daba and Alhaji Ishaq Ayandiran , respectively.He said during the visit, Tauheed told the anti-graft agency that he received the money in cash from a serving government official, whose name was not disclosed for security reasons.He said Tauheed, in the presence of his lawyer, later agreed to return the money to the Federal Government, which is the rightful owner of the funds strongly suspected to the proceeds of criminal activities of the unnamed serving government official.
The EFCC said it would be in the interest of justice for the court to order the temporary forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.After entertaining the application on Wednesday, Justice Aikawa ordered that the N449,750,000 should be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.
He ordered the EFCC to advertise the order in a national newspaper and gave 14 days for any interested party to appear in court to give reasons why the money should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.The judge adjourned the matter till May 19, 2017.

I Don’t Own the $50m Recovered by EFCC In Lagos Apartment – Former NNPC MD, Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue

Former Managing Director, Operations at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue has denied ownership of the large sums of money:$38,000,000.00 (Thirty-Eight Million Dollars),N23,000,000.00 (Twenty-Three Million Naira) and £27,000.00 (Twenty-Seven Thousand Pounds) uncovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi Lagos, Lagos State.Nnamdi-Ogbue in a statement by her lawyer, Emeka Etiaba SAN, said she as shocked as many other Nigerians at the uncovering and recovery of the said sums of money and wishes to salute the courage and efforts of the EFCC in the war against corruption.The statement reads,“The attention of Our Client, Mrs. Esther Nnamdi-Ogbue has been drawn to the news making round in the News Media to the effect that the large sums of money to wit: $38,000,000.00 (Thirty-Eight Million Dollars),N23,000,000.00 (Twenty-Three Million Naira) and £27,000.00 (Twenty-Seven Thousand Pounds) uncovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) from an apartment in Osborne Towers, Osborne Road, Ikoyi Lagos, Lagos State belong to her.By this Press Release, we inform the public (especially the News Media) that the said sums of money and/or the apartment where the sums of money were found do not belong to Our Client.Our Client is as shocked as many other Nigerians at the uncovering and recovery of the said sums of money and wishes to salute the courage and efforts of the EFCC in the war against corruption.She also wishes to commend the whistle blowing policy introduced by the Federal Government in the fight against corruption which policy has resulted in large scale uncovering and recovery of monies and assets.It is Our Client’s belief that the source and ownership of the said uncovered sums of money is known or eventually will be known by the EFCC in due course. There is therefore no need for conjecture or speculation”.

PHOTOS: EFCC Uncovers $38m, N23m in Lagos Apartment

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has discovered another large sum of money in a house in Ikoyi, Lagos. According to the EFCC, operatives from its Lagos Zone found the cash during a sting operation.Specifically, it said the operatives uncovered about $38m, N23m and £27,000 from the apartment.This comes two days after EFCC operatives recovered €547,730 and £21,090 as well as N5,648,500 from a Bureau de Change operator in Balogun Market, Lagos.Six days earlier, the EFCC recovered N449, 000, 860 hidden in an abandoned shop also in Lagos.

EFCCLagos

EFCC Intercepts N250m at Balogun Market In Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday intercepted huge sums of money in various currencies totalling N250 million at the popular Balogun market in Lagos.This came barely three days after the commission recovered N449 million at an abandoned bureau de change in Victoria Island, Lagos.Spokesman of the EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed Monday’s incident in a statement, said the discovery followed a tip off from a whistle blower.The intercepted monies, according to him, include 547,730 Euros, 21,090 Pounds and N5,648,500 .
He said the total haul was about N250 million at the prevailing exchange rate at the parallel market.“The interception followed information that about N250 million cash was being moved somewhere in the market for conversion into foreign currencies by unnamed persons.“Operatives responded timely, met the money in Bureau de Change (BDC) office, but a large chunk of it had been converted into Euro and Pounds sterling.“The BDC operators found in possession of the monies claimed they were acting on behalf of their boss who sent the money to them from one of the Northern states in Nigeria,” Uwujaren said.He said two persons apprehended in the course of the raid were assisting the commission in its investigation.(NAN)

EFCC Detains Ex-Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu Over Money Laundering

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is holding former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu for questioning over allegations of abuse of office and money laundering.The former governor was invited by the EFCC on Tuesday to respond to the allegations and he had faced many hours of interrogations by a crack team in the EFCC, The Nation reported.According to a source in the anti-graft agency: “Specifically, the Chief Servant, as he was called in his days as governor, is alleged to have diverted N2 billion Ecological Funds for political purposes.“He is also alleged to have fraudulently sold the state’s stake in North South Power, the holding company for Kainji Dam. About 16 per cent of the state’s 26 per cent shares in the company was sold for N3.6 billion.“Of this, N1.090 billion was paid to the Government House and used for the 2015 elections, where Aliyu’s protégé, Nasko, ran unsuccessfully as governor.”“Three companies were said to have benefited from the heist through contract awards. Among them a company that is owned by a former government official, which allegedly got a contract for which it was paid N847 million.“Of this sum N800m was allegedly given to a former chief of staff who allegedly handed the money to the former governor.”A company owned by a friend to Ibrahim Nasko, younger brother to a former Chief of Staff, Umar Nasko got N487m for a contract.“The money was paid to various Bureau de Change, converted into dollars and handed to the former Chief of Staff( Nasko) who also delivered the money to Babangida Aliyu,” the official said, pleading not to be named because he is not allowed to talk to the press.According to The Nation, the ongoing probe of the ex-governor has nothing to do with the petition to the EFCC by the Niger State Government on a N2.9 billion loan obtained in the twilight of his tenure.

My Priority Is Fighting Corruption, Whether I Am Confirmed Or Not – Ibrahim Magu Says After Senate Rejection

Ibrahim Magu, Acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said his rejection by the Nigerian Senate will not stop him from fighting corruption.Speaking with some civil society organizations after his screening session, Magu said , ”My priority is to fight corruption. My confirmation has not changed anything. We have always been on duty I will work until the last day whether confirmation or no confirmation.“The greatest violation against human right is crime against the society and the humanity but everybody has a duty and responsibility to fight corruption and I also has a responsibility. I assure you that we will fight to finish.”“We will never be deterred because what we are doing is trying to investigate what has gone before and protect the future of our children and our future generation.
“So, if we don’t work today and fight against corruption, the future is not guaranteed, the future of our children is not guaranteed.

PHOTOS: EFCC Discovers N49m in Five Sacks at Kaduna Airport

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intercepted a cash of N49 million hidden in five sacks at the Kaduna international airport.The agency said its operatives acted after a tip off.The bags were said to contain fresh crispy naira notes of N200 denomination in 20 bundles, totaling forty million naira and N50 denomination in 180 bundles, totaling nine million naira.

EFCC Kaduna Airport