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The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa as substantive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This followed the screening of the nominee at the Committee of the Whole on Wednesday.
Bawa had at plenary, responded to questions from senators on his vision and mission for the commission.
The Economic and Financial crimes commission (EFCC), is Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering.
Ever since its establishment in 2003, the Economic and Financial crimes commission has played a very vital role in controlling corrupt practices in Nigeria.
Over the past few years, the rate of internet fraud in Nigeria has been one of the biggest corruption issues, and EFCC has been fighting a very good battle in making sure that these criminals are brought to book.
Just this afternoon, the EFCC released via its official twitter handle, the face of a young man, aged 27 years old, who hails from Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State.
The man in concern, Yusuf Adebowale Bello has been declared wanted by the anti-corruption agency, which revealed that he played a role in case bordering on conspiracy and business email compromise to the tune of $2.2 million (about N838.42 million).
The economic and financial crimes commission (EFCC), pleaded with the anyone with useful information in general public, to disclose whatever they know to the commission via the telephone numbers above or through their offices.
Have you seen a man that will publicly reveal what he does? This young and Fast Rising Musician, NBA Gee Boy happens to be that young man who is very happy for what he does knowing fully well that it is not a clean and clear business. We have seen the likes of Mopha invited by the EFCC for investigation after he made it a habit to always show off cash on Instagram and even Hushpuppi who was later arrested
This young man is well known for showing off stacks of dollars on Instagram and his followers have told him to stop it so that EFCC will not come after him.
He released a video, saying that he is not scared of EFCC and that he has been to jail several times. He also said that there is always life after jail and that even if he is arrested, he will surely come out someday to enjoy his money. NBA Gee Boy said his goal is to secure the future of his unborn children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and that is what he is working towards.
He also revealed in the video that he started scamming people when he was 17 and that since then, he has been cashing out steady. This young man does not really know the implication of what he is doing, because if he does, he will not be showing off stacks of dollars online.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Thursday closed its case in the alleged N1.4 billion money laundering trial of former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Paul Usoro (SAN) at the Federal High Court, Lagos.
The case was closed after taking the evidence of EFCC’s second witness.
EFCC legal counsel Uduak Kufre told Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court in Lagos that the prosecution was pleased with the evidence it had put forward in the case.
He prayed the court to discharge the agency’s second and last witness, Mr. Mohammed Arabo.
Responding, Mr. Effiong O. Effiong (SAN), who led three other Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), including Shina Sofola, as counsel to Usoro, informed the court of the defendant’s intention to file a “no case” submission.
Justice Aikawa adjourned till March 12 for adoption of the “no case” submission.
Paul Usoro was first arraigned for the alleged offence on December 18, 2018, before Justice Muslim Hassan of the same court.
He was re-arraigned on March 1, 2019 on a 10-count charge bordering on laundering money for some Akwa Ibom State government officials to the tune of N1.4 billion.
One of the counts against the defendant reads: “That you, Paul Usoro, SAN, Emmanuel Udom (currently constitutionally immune against criminal prosecution), Uwemedimo Thomas Nwoko (still at large), Nsikan Linus Nkan, Commissioner of Finance, Akwa Ibom State (still at large), Mfon Jacobson Udomah, Accountant-General, Akwa Ibom State (still at large) and Margaret Thompson Ukpe (still at large), sometime in 2015 in Nigeria, conspired…to commit an offence, to wit: conversion of N1,410,000,000,000 property of the Government of Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria.”
Recently, the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have being doing great works, as corrupt politicians who have embezzled public funds are being taken into custody for questioning, as some of them have forfeited their multi-billion naira properties, if they are found guilty.
According to a news that was posted by the Daily Trust Newspaper this afternoon, it was made known that the EFCC have obtained Court order to cease the mansion of a former member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, as his fate concerning the mansion will be decided after the anti-graft agency finishes with their investigation.
It was made known that the honourable, Honourable Sani Jaji who is a top echelon in the All Progressives Congress of Nigeria, represented the Birnin Magaji/Kaura Namoda Federal Constituency of Zamfara state, and he is planning to contest for governorship election in the 2023, before is mansion which he built in Low Cost Area of Gusau, in Zamfara State was ceased today by EFCC.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 14 suspected internet fraudsters in Lagos.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, who disclosed this in a statement sent to Ripples Nigeria, said the suspects were arrested following series of intelligence on their alleged fraudulent activities.
He added that they were arrested at 1004 Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, on February 4.
The suspects are – Akin Abiola Daramola, Stephen Augustine Terungwa, Oluwateru Abiodun Samson, Jeffrey Imariagbe Ehis, Uwajiala Odion Henry, Solomon Abidiran Pelumi, Adebayo Oluwatobi Isaac Olamide and Odunifa Joseph Opomulero.
Others are – Adulkarim Samad Olalekan, Anne Davidson, Ibrahim Enakere Emmanuel, Abayomi Oluwagbenga Olowoake, Israel Jigah Sokoamtu, Oluwaseun Olajuwon Ibrahim and Isaiah Effiong
“They have been interrogated and will soon be arraigned in court,” the EFCC spokesman said.
It would be recalled that a young man jumped to his death from the seventh floor of the high-brow estate during EFCC’s raid on the premises on February 4.
The man, who was not a suspect, was confirmed dead at a hospital he was rushed to by residents of the estate.
The Federal High Court, Lagos, on Wednesday admitted more evidence in the trial of Petro Union and Gas Limited and four other defendants for alleged £2.5billion fraud.
Other defendants are Abayomi Kukoyi, Prince Kingsley Okpala, Prince Chidi Okpalaeze, and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaeze.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the defendants on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, attempt to steal, and forgery.
The commission also presented its seventh witness in court on Wednesday.
The witness, Shamsudeen Abu Lili, a Senior Manager with the Corporate Affairs Commission, (CAC) was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).
Lili told the court that the CAC received a request from the EFCC on its plan to investigate Petro Union Oil and Gas over its alleged involvement in the fraud.
He said: “We had a request from the EFCC to provide Certified True Copies of documents with respect to Petro Union Oil and Gas.
“We responded and provided the documents relating to the registration of the company.”
He identified the documents in court.
The witness confirmed that the company was incorporated on December 28, 1979, with registration number 31157.
Jacobs, thereafter, applied to tender the documents before the court.
Subsequently, Justice A.M. Liman admitted in evidence the bundle of documents which included the letter of investigation from EFCC, as well as CAC pre and post-incorporation papers as Exhibit A-E.
He adjourned the matter till March 10 for the continuation of trial.
The anti-graft agency had sought the order following Laing’s refusal to honour its previous invitations.
A statement by the commission’s head, media and publicity, Wilson Uwijaren and made available to a ripples Nigeria said EFCC had sent three invitations to Laing for questioning over Mobil’s role in an alleged procurement fraud of over $213 million, which EFCC was investigating.
With the bench warrant, EFCC is authorised by law to effect Laing’s arrest.
According to Uwujaren, Justice Okon Abang issued the arrest order on Friday January 29, 2021, following its request.
He further explained that the invitation into Mobil’s activities borders on fraudulent creation of Change Orders worth over $213 million.
Mobil isn’t the only company on EFCC’s radar relating to the procurement fraud case. Other companies are Suffolk Petroleum Services Limited and Global Offshore Limited, as well as Mobile Producing Nigeria.
“The Commission is investigating alleged procurement fraud in the Major Integrity Pipelines Project involving Mobile Producing Nigeria as the contracting company, Suffolk Petroleum Services Limited as the main contractor, Saipem Contracting Nigeria, Global Offshore Limited and Van Ord as sub-contractor to SPSL.” Uwujaren disclosed in a statement to Ripples.
The trial of Aisha Alkali Wakil alias ‘Mama Boko Haram’ who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a fresh three count criminal charge of conspiracy, inducement and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N41, 777,750.00 commenced before Justice Aisha Kumaliya of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri Tuesday, January 26, with the prosecution calling its first witness, PW1, Bilkisu Muhammed Abubakar, who was allegedly induced by the defendants to execute over N41m supply contract for Complete Care and Aid Foundation, owned by Wakil, but refused to pay.
Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed, the PW1 narrated how supplies contracts were awarded to her by Mama Boko Haram and Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura, the chief executive officer and programme manager respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation and Complete Care respectively.
According to the witness,: “I worked as a volunteer in the Organisation for two years during which I was engaged to make supplies of beverages and toiletries to the NGO and later to the home of Wakil, even though I told them I was not a contractor.
“I supplied to Complete Care and Aid Foundation office two sets of televisions, two sets of telecom, nine stabilizers, thirteen extension wires, cutleries, three electronic kettles, two gas cylinders, toiletries, beverages, bottled water, amongst others for thirteen (13) months.
“I was also buying lunch for Wakil and her daughter, one Khadija Alkali, for four straight months.
“I was asked by Wakil and Daura to write down whatever item I supplied to them. Subsequently, I also furnished the house of Wakil based on request by her; I supplied everything in the house”.
PW1 further told the court that: “I supplied one Italian bed, a complete set of show glass, two centre tables, one Italian dining table and one cushion chair to her husband. She also asked me to supply four beds, five big mattresses and sixteen pillows to be used by her husband and children.
“I also supplied food flasks, electronics, gas cooker, one deep freezer, two industrial fans, four rechargeable fans, three sets of bed side carpets to Aisha Alkali Wakil, her husband and children. I supplied ten ready-made clothes and ten veils as well.
“Wakil also directed me to transfer money to one Ekechukwu Modo to buy her foodstuffs from Enugu. I transferred money in five tranches to Modo’s First Bank account and to one Harira in Malaysia for the purchase of Arabian gown.
“My lord, during the naming ceremony of Wakil’s grandchild, I supplied all the things needed to the tune of N1.5M”.
The witness further revealed that, Mama Boko Haram, after much pleading paid the sum of N10m into her account for every item supplied and services rendered but refused to pay the balance of N31.7m.
The prosecution counsel, Mukhtar Ali Ahmed tendered the Letter of Award of Contract for the supplies, Store Certification, Notification of Delay in Payment, Letter of Introduction and Authorization for the transfer of N1.5M which were all admitted in evidence by the court.
Forty different receipts issued to Bilkisu, tellers and a hand writing documents of items bought by the vendor were also admitted in evidence.
Justice Kumaliya, after listening to the testimony of the PW1, ordered that the proceedings recorded by the court be transmitted to the defendants for study and cross examination of the prosecution witness due to the absence of their counsel.
The trial was adjourned till February 15, 2021 for cross examination of prosecution witness.
Mama Boko Haram was arraigned alongside Tahiru Saidu Daura, and Prince Lawal Shoyede, Programme Manager and Country Director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (Non-Governmental Organisation).
One of the counts reads: “That you Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyede whilst being Chief Executive Officer, Programme Manager and Country Director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (Non-Governmental Organisation) sometimes in June 2018 at Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly induced one Haija Bilkisu Mohammed Abubakar of Ihasan Venndor Services, to deliver to you; House Furniture, electronics and food items worth N34, 593, 000.00 (Thirty Four Million Five Hundred and Ninety Three Thousand Naira) only under the guise of executing a contract for the supply of the said items to Complete Care and Aid Foundation (Non-Governmental Organisation) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 (a) and Punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, January 26, presented two more witnesses who testified in the ongoing trial of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Turaki, his special assistant Sampson Okpetu and two companies: Samtee Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited are standing trial before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja on a 16-count charge of fraud to the tune of N714.6 million.
The witnesses, Erijitonah Good, a customer service manager at First City Monument Bank and Umar Abba Tilde, a compliance officer from Zenith Bank testified as PW 10 and P11 respectively.
Led in evidence by Farouk Abdullah, Good who brought documents relating to inflows and expenditure pertaining to some accounts told the court that “sometime in November 2019 we got a mail from EFCC requesting for account opening package , account statement of some customers in the bank which we complied with and forwarded to the EFCC”.
The document entitled ‘re-investigation activities’ alongside the account opening package and account statement were tendered and admitted in evidence.
During cross examination, Good told the court that he does not know the source or purpose of payment in the account.
The second witness Tilde, in his testimony, disclosed that “sometimes last year, there was a letter from EFCC requesting for some documents regarding some of our customers and as custodian of the documents, we complied with and submitted account opening package of one Abdullahi Bagudu , account statements, and BVN links to the EFCC”
The documents were also tendered and admitted as exhibits.
The trial has been adjourned to January 27 for continuation of trial.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a case of money laundering the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) instituted against former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s lawyer.
The court presided over by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke sacked the case on monday.
Atiku’s lawyer, Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, and his brother, Erhunse, were dragged to the court by the EFCC on a three-count charge of money laundering to the tune of $2 million.
Giwa-Osagie was said to have delivered the money illegally to former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the 2019 general election.
However, ruling on the matter, the judge said that the anti-graft agency was unable to prove that the money was illegal.
During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Kufre Uduak, told the court that the EFCC sometime in 2019 gathered from intelligence that some politicians were moving around with US Dollars to influence the result of the last general elections.
However, ruling on the matter, the trial judge sacked the case for the commission’s failure to establish its claim.
The Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mohammed Abba, has appointed one Ayo Olowonihi as the new commandant of the anti-graft agency’s academy.
Olowonihi, who is a director in EFCC, takes over from Itam Obono as head of the commission’s academy.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The statement read: “The Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mohammed Abba, has appointed Detective Commander Ayo Olowonihi as Commandant, EFCC Academy, Karu, Abuja.
“Olowonihi takes over from Itam Obono, a Deputy Commissioner of Police
“The appointment which is with immediate effect was consummated with a hand-over ceremony today, Monday, January 18, 2021, attended by both Olowonihi and Obono with heads of departments and units of the Academy in attendance.”
“Obono charged staff to give Olowonihi the best cooperation, stating, ‘I’ll ask that, Ayo who is coming is not new. He has been here before and the work will take speed. Give him the best cooperation. The little hurdles that are there, you may be able to surmount faster than we have done.”
“In his response, Olowonihi appreciated Obono and wished him well at his new assignment. He pledged to take the Academy, which is the brain of the organisation, to where it should be.”
The new commandant was suspended by the former acting chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, in 2015.
He was later demoted from Grade Level 17 to Grade 16 in 2017.
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, refused to grant the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s application, seeking for revocation of the bail granted to the former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode.
Justice John Tsoho ruled that the medical report brought by the defence counsel, Wale Balogun, that Fani-Kayode was indisposed was sufficient reason to reject the application by the EFCC’s lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ex-minister was, on Nov. 10, 2016, admitted to a N50 million bail bond with a surety in the like sum.
Fani-Kayode is accused by the anti-graft agency of diverting N26 million alleged to have received from the ex-National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing, Abubakar, who said the matter was for trial continuation, noted that Fani-Kayode was not in court.
The lawyer stated further that the former minister was equally not in court on two previous occasions, which he argued, amounted to jumping of bail.
Abubakar, thereafter, urged the court to revoke Fani-Kayode’s bail and issue a bench warrant against him.
He also prayed the court to summon his surety to show cause why the bail bond would not be forfeited.
However, lawyer to the former minister Balogun urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s oral application.
He argued that such an application should be filed formally.
According to him, the prosecutor has narrated some facts and such facts should be on record by way of an affidavit.
Balogun further argued that before the commencement of the sitting, he met with Abubakar and gave him two reasons the ex-minister was not in court.
According to him, I told him that the defendant has been indisposed in the last two weeks.
“I showed him the medical report from the Kubwa General Hospital that the defendant should be on bed rest,” he said.
Balogun said due to his state of health, he could not attend the sister case in Lagos.
Again, the lawyer said he also misinformed Fani-Kayode about the next hearing date.
“We have advised the defendant that the matter was for tomorrow (Thursday).
“It was our error, I mean the lawyers. I even called him (Fani-Kayle) on phone to the knowledge of the prosecutor but he has not picked.
“I have called him more than 20 times just to tell him that the matter was for today.
“His absence today regrettably is due to our fault, the lawyers’ fault. We apologise.
“We plead passionately with ur lordship that the defendant will be in court tomorrow,” he said.
Balogun added that his absence in the last two proceedings was not his making.
“The defendant has always been coming to court before now.
“The last time, it was beyond him because the airspace was shut down,” he said.
Balogun, who said that the reason for bail revocation must be substantial, urged the court not to grant the prosecution’s application.
Abubakar, who responded on points of law to submissions by Balogun, said issues of bench warrant did not require a formal application.
He enjoined the court to take judicial notice of all the reasons adduced for Fani-Kayode’s absence.
Abubakar argued further that the defence counsel, who announced his appearance after he did, had all the opportunity to tell the court why his client was not in court.
He said whatever information Balogun gave the prosecution on the absence of his client in court “goes to no issue because he is not the court.”
Again, the EFCC lawyer said he did not have Fani-Kayode’s phone number to know if his counsel was calling him.
He also argued that it was the personal responsibility of a defendant on bail, under the law, to know when he should be in court.
“Counsel cannot take responsibility for that,” he said.
Abubakar urged the court to grant his application.
Justice Tsoho then asked Balogun for a copy of the medical report.
In his ruling, the judge disagreed with Balogun that an application for bail revocation ought to have been made orally, citing the law to back the decision.
He also agreed with Abubakar that the defendant had a personal responsibility to his case.
The judge, however, said that the reasons giving by the defence counsel for the absence of his client on the two previous occasions when the court sat were justifiable.
Besides, Tsoho, who ruled that the medical report was sufficient to justify the absence of Fani-Kayode in court, declined to grant the EFCC’s application.
He adjourned the matter until Feb. 23 and Feb. 24, 2021, for the continuation of hearing.
Trouble seems not yet over for the embattled former Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, as the Code of Conduct Bureau is investigating him over an alleged breach of Code of Conduct for public officers.
The CCB, through a letter dated November 2, with reference number CCB/HQ/ II&M/007/2093, addressed to the former acting EFCC chairman, directed him to appear before the Bureau for an interview scheduled for Tuesday, November 17.
According to the letter, entitled, “Investigation Activities: Letter of Invitation, Breach of Code of Conduct for Public Officers”, the CCB was investigating Magu for a case of alleged breach of Code of Conduct for public officers. Magu’s invitation, the letter, signed by Gwimi S. P., the Director of Intelligence, Investigation and Monitoring of the CCB, stated was made “pursuant to the mandate and powers of the Bureau as enshrined in the 3rd Schedule, Part 1, Paragraph 3(e) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended”.
“The Bureau is investigating a case of alleged breach of Code of Conduct for public officers against Mr Ibrahim Mustapha Magu, the former Acting Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“In view of the foregoing, you are invited for an interview scheduled as follows: Date: Tuesday, 17th November, 2020. Time: 11:00 am prompt; Venue: CCB Interview Room, 5th Floor, Annex 3, Federal Secretariat Complex, Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja.
“You are expected to come along with the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the following documents: Acknowledgement slips of all your Assets Declaration to Code of Conduct Bureau since you joined public service; Copies of your Appointment Letter, Acceptance, records of service and payslips from January to May, 2020; All documents of your landed properties both developed and undeveloped.
“This invitation is made pursuant to the mandate and powers of the Bureau as enshrined in the 3rd Schedule, Part 1, Paragraph 3(e) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended; Section 137(a) and (b) and 138 (a) and (b) Penal Code Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 and Section 104 of Evidence Act 2011.
“Treat as urgent, please,” the letter sighted by Saturday Tribune read. When contacted yesterday, Shittu told Saturday Tribune that he could not comment on the development without Magu’s permission.
“There is no way I can comment without the express permission of my client (Magu),” he said.
Magu was on Monday, July 6 “arrested” at the Abuja Zonal office of the commission at Fomella Street at Wuse II in Abuja and taken before the Justice Ayo Salami panel set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to investigate some alleged infractions against him.
The panel was put in place following a memo sent to the President by the AttorneyGeneral of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, in which he made some damning allegations against Magu.
The minister, among others, accused Magu of insubordination to the AGF; relooting of recovered loots; sales of seized assets to his (Magu’s) cronies, associates and friends; alleged favouritism towards selected EFCC investigators, who are referred to as “Magu Boys” for juicy assignments; discrepancies in the reconciliation records of the EFCC and the Ministry of Budget and declaration of N539 billion as recovered funds instead of N504 billion earlier claimed.
Magu was also alleged to have acquired some assets in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, through some proxies. While being detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department at Garki 10 in Abuja, Magu was suspended by Buhari on July 10, while the then Director of Operations, Mohammed Umar, was made his replacement as EFCC Acting Chairman.
The presidential panel, headed by Justice Isa Ayo Salami (retd), a former President of the Court of Appeal, is yet to submit its report to the President after almost six months it has been investigating Magu’s tenure as Acting EFCC Chairman between November, 2015 and June, 2020.
However, it was rumoured then that the Department of State Service (DSS) was collaborating with the CCB to investigate Magu over some assets infraction, though this was denied then by counsel for the embattled Magu, Wahab Shittu. Reacting to the involvement of the DSS in his probe, Shittu had told Saturday Tribune that he was not aware of any investigations by the CCB, adding that all he knew about the alleged investigations by both the DSS and CCB were speculations on pages of newspapers. According to him, “Magu is not aware of investigations by the Code of Conduct (Bureau) except speculations in the papers. At any rate, my client remains unperturbed. “The only thing going for Magu is his innocence and firm conviction of having served his country selflessly,” Shittu had told Saturday Tribune.
The former Chairman of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, Babatunde Fowler, appeared before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday, sparking speculations he has questions to answer over his tenure.
Fowler, who also served one term as the Chief Executive of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, was summoned to the Lagos State Zonal Office of the EFCC on Monday morning, and, he appeared in person.
As at the time of filing the report, an EFCC source familiar with the invitation said Fowler was still being interrogated in Lagos.
The source hinted that contrary to speculations, Fowler was not invited in connection with his stewardship at the FIRS but in relation to his tenure at the Lagos Internal Revenue Service based on a petition.
However, later in the day, the Spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the invitation of Fowler to Vanguard.
Wilson said that Fowler was invited and he responded but did not give further details on what the petition against him contains.
The chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Maina, has said he will resume his trial only when his doctor gives him a clean bill of health. Maina, who claimed to be suffering from knee injuries, spoke in a recorded video clip which circulated online on Thursday.
The about six-and-a-half-minute-long video clip showed him fielding questions from an unseen “journalist” who claimed to have embarked on an “independent investigation” to verify if Maina had jumped bail as being speculated in the media.
Maina was shown lying in a bed as he fielded questions, with his son, Faisal, who is also being prosecuted for separate charges, seated beside him.
The left knee, which he claimed was injured, was not shown in the clip, Punch reports.
Maina, who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly laundering N2bn, has been absent from court on seven consecutive occasions since September 29, 2020, when his trial was scheduled to have resumed.
On October 2, Borno South Senator Ali Ndume, who stood surety for Maina to enable him to get bail, told Justice Okon Abang that he could no longer find the defendant.
But Maina, who was in hiding for about two years before he was re-arrested by the EFCC last year, said in the video clip that he had not absconded from his ongoing trial.
Asked when he would resume his trial, he said, “The doctors are here. You need to ask the doctors. But what they told me was that I would need six to seven weeks for recovery.”
But when asked further if he was ready for his trial, he said, “Of course I am ready, as soon as I am healed.”
“They told me that the next knee cap, they may not be able to do it here,” Maina added.
Asked to respond to specific allegations that he had jumped bail, Maina said, “You have done your independent investigation. You were able to get my location Punch reports.
“Now, you have seen me. You have seen the situation , and you can tell whether or not I am running away from my trial.”
Maina also alleged that the judge had in the course of the trial shown bias against him, citing an occasion when the judge asked him to stop gazing at him.
He said, “My lawyer asked him why, and he said ‘I don’t want him to look at me because I have a wife and children, and I want them alive’. Does that suggest that looking at him would kill his wife and children?”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) says it recorded 646 convictions and recovered more than N11 billion in monetary asset this year, despite the restriction imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The acting chairman of the EFCC, Umar Abba, disclosed this while addressing the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes in Abuja on Tuesday.
The spokesperson of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement that the Senate committee had expressed the desire of the Upper Legislative House to see a reformed and rebranded EFCC.
This, according to the committee, will help in its fight against corruption, economic and financial crimes in the country.
Suleiman Kwari, the Chairman of the committee, advised that 90 per cent of investigation should be done before “arrest is effected”.
He added that “media hype must stop”. If you want to be effective forget the media, do the work and let your work speak for you.”
Mr Kwari disclosed that the 9th Senate is determined to see that there is a constant flow of information and engagement between the Senate and the EFCC.
Aliyu Wamakko, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, expressed concern on the commission’s lean budgetary allocation for legal fees, noting that there must be adequate provision for legal fees in the EFCC budget for effective prosecutions.
Mr Uwujaren quoted the EFCC boss, Mr Umar, as telling the Senate committee that the commission has earned the confidence and trust of Nigerians because of its unblemished professional disposition.
“The EFCC is doing remarkably well above all other law-enforcement agencies in the country and that is why the UNODC and National Bureau of Statistics in the 2017 survey they conducted ranked EFCC as the most effective government agency in Nigeria,” Mr Umar said.
Reacting to the issues of seized vehicles by the commission, Mr Abba expressed pain at the deteriorating state of asset in the custody of the EFCC.
“We are working on this challenge and I am sure the Attorney-General of the Federation is coming out with a gazette so that this issue will be a thing of the past. It involves not only vehicles, but also landed properties,” he said.
The EFCC boss also weighed in on concerns expressed by the legislators on the waning impact of the Whistle-blowing policy of the federal government, blaming the situation on mischief and misinformation by members of the public who turned it to a tool for settling personal scores.
“It is true that the whistle-blowing policy has gone awry, unlike what it was at the beginning of the policy, where we received several reports from whistle-blowers.
“People started being mischievous with the policy. So we have to tread carefully as people turned it into a personal vendetta tool against individuals,” he said. He, however, revealed that the policy was being fine-tuned by the Ministry of Finance to make it more efficient.
The EFCC boss used the occasion to acquaint the legislators with the challenges confronting the agency, including the lack of adequate personnel and office accommodation, especially in the Commission’s zonal offices), and the lack of internet facility, Information and Communication Technology equipment, among others.
He canvassed for the support of the committee in overcoming these challenges through appropriation.
