We’ve recovered over N120bn, made  1,600 convictions in 6 months — EFCC Chairman

 

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede has confirmed that the agency  has  recovered over N120bn and made over 1,600 convictions

 

The anti-graft chairman also vowed that all those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to book, and has sworn to follow the prosecution of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to logical conclusion

 

In a chat with journalists at the EFCC Headquarters in the Jabi area of Abuja on Tuesday, the anti-graft chairman vowed to resign as EFCC chairman if Bello is not prosecuted.

 

He vowed that all those who obstructed the arrest of the former governor would be brought to book.

The EFCC is seeking to arraign Bello on 19 counts bordering on alleged money laundering, breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of N80.2 billion.

He said that no matter what anyone does or the amount of attack against the anti-graft agency, he and his men will not relent in helping to sanitise the country.

 

Olukoyede said the EFCC needs the support of Nigerians to succeed as he emphasised that if the agency fails, Nigeria fails. He stated that the efforts made currently has helped the value of the Naira and the foreign market.

 

Meanwhile, the EFCC has served a copy of the charge sheet of alleged fraud to the tune of N80bn against the immediate past governor on his lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohamed.

 

This followed a Tuesday order by Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja after Bello’s absence in court.

 

He was absent from court for his arraignment on a 19-count charge of alleged money laundering to the tune of ₦80bn.

 

The judge relied on section 384 (4 and 5) of the Administrative and Criminal Justice Act 2015, directing the counsel to the immediate past governor to receive a copy of the charge.

 

The court held that where it had become impossible to effect personal service of a legal process on a defendant, such could be done through substituted means.

 

Justice Nwite further held that it was clear that the former governor failed to appear in court for his arraignment.

 

Although Bello’s lawyer, Mohammed, initially declined to accept the charges and proof of evidence, he was compelled to do so by Justice Nwite.

 

The judge rejected the plea by the senior lawyer that a junior lawyer in his team, AI Musa, be the one to accept the charges on behalf of the former governor.

 

 

A member of the legal team for Bello, Adedayo Adedipe, told the court that his client would have made himself available, but was afraid of lack of fair hearing and justice.

 

He added that Bello was ready to appear before the court to answer the 19-count charge preferred against him by the EFCC.

 

Adedipe urged the court, to set aside the ex-parte order of arrest it had earlier issued against the former governor, saying that at the time the order of arrest was made, the charge had not been served on his client.

 

 

Bello had argued that the EFCC was an illegal organisation. According to him, the Federal Government did not consult the 36 states of the federation before enacting the EFCC Act through the National Assembly. He added that section 12 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, required the various Houses of Assembly to ratify the act before it could become operative.

 

Counsel to the EFCC, Kemi Phinheiro, however, urged the court to dismiss the application, insisting that the warrant of arrest should not be set aside until the defendant makes himself available for trial.

 

He argued that Bello did not have the legal ground to file numerous applications while in hiding.

 

Justice Nwite had last week issued a bench warrant against Bello following an application to that effect by EFCC.

 

The EFCC subsequently declared the former governor wanted for his persistent absence in court and for evading the criminal charges against him.

 

 

.Arrests Hadi Sirika over botched Nigeria Air

 

Also, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, over an ongoing N8,069,176,864.00 money laundering probe.

 

The former minister, who is a subject of an ongoing N8, 069,176,864.00 money laundering probe arrived at the Federal Capital Territory Command of the EFCC at about 1:00 pm on Tuesday.

 

EFCC sources who confirmed the arrest, said the embattled minister is currently been drilled at the EFCC office in Wuse 2, Abuja

 

“Following his arrival at the command, Sirika is met with EFCC investigators to answer questions on alleged fraudulent contracts awarded by him to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar Sirika,” the source said.

 

He further said, “Hadi Sirika was taken into our FCT custody. He is currently meeting with EFCC investigators over the alleged N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud.

 

“The N8,069,176,864.00 aviation ministry contract fraud was carried out in connivance with his younger brother, Abubakar Sirika, through the latter’s company.”

 

The EFCC had in February, 2024, opened an investigation into the activities of the aviation ministry under Sirika for conspiracy, abuse of office, diversion of public funds, and contract inflation.

 

Sirika is also being queried over alleged criminal breaches of trust and money laundering amounting to N8,069,176,864.00 during his tenure in office.

 

The sum is said to be for four aviation contracts approved by the former minister to a company known as Engirios Nigeria Limited, owned by his younger sibling, Abubakar.

 

 

.Alleges ex-gov withdrew $720,000 from Kogi’s coffers to pay child’s school fees

 

However, The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has revealed that a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.

 

Olukoyede revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

 

He said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

 

“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”

 

.Remove ‘wanted’ from Bello’s name, Kogi Assembly tells agency

 

Meanwhile, Kogi State House of Assembly has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the ‘wanted’ tag that it has placed on the name and picture of the immediate past Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

 

This forms part of the resolutions during the House plenary on Tuesday and follows a matter of urgent public importance that was presented on the floor of the House by the member representing Ajaokuta State Constituency in the house, Hon Jibrin Abu.

 

In their resolutions, the lawmakers stated, “The EFCC, IGP, Immigration, NSA and other agencies conscripted into this melodrama be so informed and involved to act accordingly. The Commission should not allow itself to become a tool of political vendetta, blackmail, or intimidation against any individual through personal grudges, persecution, and campaign of calumny to tarnish the image of personalities from Kogi State, especially Alh Yahaya Bello or any perceived political enemy of the characters hiding behind their executive powers to unleash allegations through media for public consumption and sympathy.

 

 

“The House condemns in its entirety a statement by legal practitioner suggesting a request that the military be involved in the case that does not constitute a threat to internal security or treasonable felony.”

 

Earlier in his motion, titled, “A call to end all false, frivolous, fictitious, and far from the truth smear campaign against the former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello,” the Lawmaker representing Ajaokuta State Constituency, Hon Abu lamented that the anti-graft agency had been allegedly witch-hunting the former Governor of the State for a long time.

 

 

“The recent reports on the print, electronic and social media had featured various debasing forms of address against the former Governor of Kogi State. Recall that the whole narrative was principally sparked off by the blithe actions, without respect to due legal process by Nigeria’s anti- graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 

“The consequence of this has deeply affected the minds, emotions, and impressions of Kogi citizens, and by extension, Nigerians. Kogi State, over the years, has witnessed a worrisome trend and torrent of witch-hunt by the anti-graft agency, unrepentantly striving to force corruption claims on the State Government and officials.

 

“This is not forgetting the plight of late Prince Abubakar Audu in the hands of the same agency, albeit, giving his dog a bad name for the kill.

 

“The Commission started with claims that it discovered a non-existent fund in an alleged Fixed Deposit Account. By its statutory responsibility and while appreciating EFCC’s efforts in the fight against corruption, every right thinking individual would hold it a duty to support it in no small measure to succeed in its primary responsibilities. It is also possible as touted all around for those very wary of certain actions outside legal process by the EFCC to caution against allowing the Commission to become a tool for political vendetta.

 

“It is pertinent for House to further note that the new objectives assured by the leadership of EFCC upon assumption of duty and in his fight against crimes and corruption under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu are to fight financial crimes with due diligence and legal process. These objectives are being eroded by certain selfish group of political individuals with access to media and investigations in the commission.

 

 

“The 7th Legislative Assembly of Kogi State in August and September 2021 berated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission upon the completion of its investigation over the allegation of N20b Bailout diversion against the former Governor of Kogi State, Alh. Yahaya Bello through a fixed deposit account at Sterling Bank, Lokoja.

 

“The EFCC has continued the trajectory of persecuting the former Governor against all known legal decencies and now likened, by most, to personal vendetta. But the question is why?

 

“A point of reference for the House to take cognizance of is the submission, that having wasted taxpayers’ money, the time of the honourable court and Nigerians, one Kemi Pinheiro SAN, acting on behalf of EFCC and other Legal luminaries, discovered that the case of N20b against the State Government lacked substance and that it was aimed at disrespecting the rule of law. The case was accordingly withdrawn citing 6 reasons. These reasons were in line with findings of 7 Legislative Assembly and for berating the EFCC.

 

“The Rt. Hon. Speaker, distinguished honourable members, this was not without a fight by the then Governor, revealing to Nigerians the impotent drive

by the Commission and its sudden acceptance of duties not enshrined in the law establishing the same.

 

“Kogi State, by allocation standard, is not rich so much so that N80.4b will be missing that the State will not be shaken to its foundation. This claim by the EFCC should be sanctioned and taken as laughable. Innocent Nigerians and Kogi State citizens that bought into the lies should by their personal volition withdraw their support,” he stated.

In his submissions, the member representing Kabba-Bunu State Constituency Hon. Oluwaseyi Bello berated EFCC for allegedly disobeying a subsisting court order in the State.

 

 

On his part, former Deputy Speaker of the house Rt. Hon. Enema Paul wants the anti graft Agency to respect the rule of law.

 

He said, “Why is EFCC in a haste? Nigeria is not a banana republic. I was surprised to hear a senior lawyer to EFCC inviting the military in a Civil case. Has the Police, DSS failed?

 

“I think EFCC should look at their lawyer and see if he is really qualified. The Man they declared wanted is in Appeal Court with them. Declaring him wanted, I think EFCC has al ot of questions to answer. We don’t want military to rule this Country and some body is dragging us back to the olden days” he added.

 

In his ruling, the Speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Aliyu Umar Yusuf, admonished the anti-graft agency not to act contrary to the law of the Country.

 

“This House is not against the EFCC doing its job but it should do it within the ambit of the law and not in a gestapo way.

 

“The country belongs to all of us, so we must respect the law and work with it. The EFCC engaging in media trial and working in a gestapo way is unacceptable. If Yahaya Bello has a case to answer, it should be done within the rule of law,” he stated.