RE: 22 EFCC DETAINEES PETITION YAR’ADUA, ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE MIKE EDEGHAGBA ALIAS LIEUTENANT COLONEL

 

ID/113C/05

 

 

Complainant:  Federal Republic of Nigeria

 

Offence:                      Impersonation and Obtaining Money by False Pretences. 

 

Date Arrested:           21/10/2005.

 

Facts of the Case:      On the 20th of October, 2005, the suspect Mike Edeghagba “M” who was dressed in a military uniform with a Lieutenant Colonel Rank, in company of one Charles Amadi “M’of Aba, Abia State came to the Commission to solicit for the bail of one Chidozie Amadi who was detained in respect of Advance Fee Fraud case. The said Mike Edeghagba not only introduced himself as a military man but also a pastor at Otta Farm, Ogun State. In the course of his introduction, an information came that the suspect is an imposter and warned that his claims be investigated before allowing him apply for the bail. Based on this information, he was asked to go and come back the next day being 21/10/2005, while a team of operatives were detailed to Bonny Camp, Lagos and Otta Farm respectively to verify his claims which were reported false. On the 21/10/2005, he came back as agreed and applied for the bail of Chidozie Amadi accordingly. At this juncture, he was confronted with the Commissions findings about his claims which he could not defend. His person and car were searched and the sum of N149, 000.00 which he collected from Charles Amadi, the father of the detained suspect was recovered. His hotel room was also visited and two pairs of military uniforms with Lt. Col. Ranks were recovered. He made a confessional statement and revealed that he was compulsorily retired as a Major in 1995 but no reason as to why he is impersonating a Lt. Col. was given. Mr. Charles Amadi made a statement, that he paid the sum of N150, 000.00 into the purported Lt. Col. account UBA Marina Branch, Lagos from Aba before the suspect could follow him to EFCC for the purpose of bail of his detained son. Letters were written to the Chief of Army Staff, Abuja, to confirm if he is a serving member of the Nigerian Army and in their reply, it was revealed that the accused was retired compulsorily in 1995 as a Major and not a Lt. Col. as he claimed. The Managing Director UBA Plc was also contacted to confirm if the sum of N150,000.00 was paid into the accused persons account from Mr. Charles Amadi and the reply revealed that the said amount was credited into his account.  The Temperance Otta Farms, Ogun State was also written to confirm if the accused person is a Pastor in Otta Farms, and in their reply, they denied him.

 

Status of the Case: He was apparently charged to court and the case is pending before the Hon. Justice Olokoba of Ikeja High Court where he was granted bail and all the recovered items maintained as exhibit. Between April and May 2007, he jumped court bail and a warrant issued against him and his two sureties to show cause. By August 2007, he was re-arrested and taken back to the court along with his sureties where the sureties withdrew their suretyship. His Counsel, Barr. Adeleke, on 24/09/2007 indicated that the accused is interest to Plea Bargain and applied that the accused be remanded in the Commission’s Cell to enable them facilitate the Plea Bargaining in a very short time and the court obliged his prayers and remanded the accused in the Commission Cell, while case was adjourned to 18/10/2007 for trial.  It is worthy of note that his detention in the Commission Cell is at the instance of the Court and not EFCC which contradicts his claims in the daily newspapers and magazine reports.

 

 

ALEXANDER RICHARD OLALEKAN & OLADELE DANIEL

CHARGE NO: FCH/L/291C/2007

CHARGE NO:D/107C/2007

 

 

Complainant:  Federal Republic of Nigeria

 

Offence:                      Forgery and unlawful Possession of Foreign Cheques, Central Bank of Nigeria & Federal Ministries of Finance and Justice Documents.

 

Date Arrested:           31/07/2007.

 

Facts of the Case:      On 31/07/2007 the NDLEA transferred the 2 suspects mentioned above through a letter dated 16/07/2007 with reference no. NDLEA/DP/93/VOL.1. The suspects were arrested in possession of Foreign Cheques, CBN & Federal Ministries of Finance and Justice Documents suspected to be fake by the NDLEA operatives at Idi-iroko border on their way to Cotonou, Republic of Benin. Hence they were transferred to the Commission for further investigation. On the receipt of the suspects, exhibits and the casefiles, their statements were obtained under caution wherein, they admitted committing the offences. Copies of the forged documents recovered from the suspects were sent to the agencies concerned i.e. Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Finance and Federal Ministry Justice for authentication and their replies confirmed that the documents were fake while the foreign cheques were sent to the Document Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Immigration for authentication.

 

Status of the Case: On conclusion of the investigation, the casefile was duplicated and forwarded to the Legal Department of the Commission for vetting and advice. The 1st Suspect Alexander Richard Olalekan’s case, had been filed before the Federal High Court Ikoyi and the proof of evidence was duly served on him on the 17/08/2007, while the 2nd Suspect Oladele Daniel was arraigned before Hon. Justice Obadino of the State High Court Ikeja and currently undergoing prosecution.

 

AKINDIPE ISMAILA

 

CR/1007/07

 

Complainant:  Daniel Nnamezie

 

Offence:                     Conspiracy and Obtaining Money by False Pretences. 

 

Date Arrested:           28/08/2007.

 

Facts of the Case:      On the 27/07/07 the Commission was in receipt of a written petition from one Daniel Nnamieze alleging that he has been duped by a syndicate of fraudsters headed by Akindipe Ismaila & 3 others. The complainant met one Mr. Femi Johnson “m” at Alaba International Market who took him to Lisa Village in his shrine which he uses to defraud innocent Nigerians in Ogun State where he met Akindipe Ismaila “m” who claimed to be a spiritualist who has the power to duplicate currency. The complainant paid the sum of N10, 000.00 as consultation fees and he was asked to pay the sum of N30, 000.00 for the purchase of materials for ritual purposes which he did. In the month of July, the complainant went to Lisa Village and paid the sum of N30, 000.00 for the rituals after which he was asked to bring $4,000.00 USD and ₤200.00 Sterling. At this point the complainant was no longer himself due to the rituals performed on him by the Akindipe Ismaila and his syndicate which resulted in him paying the total sum of N350,000.00 cash excluding money for the purchase of materials used for the rituals. The victim was also taken to a shrine by the suspect and was shown a box purportedly containing large quantity of US Dollar and Pounds Sterling, which the suspect requested him to pay additional money to wash to dollars/pounds and recoup all his expenses .On receipt of the complaint a team of operatives proceeded to Lisa Village in Ogun State, on 27/08/07 were the suspect Akindipe Ismaila and his syndicate were subsequently arrested in their shrine on 28/08/07. A search was conducted immediately after the arrest in the shrine and the sum of $4,200.00 USD and ₤300.00 Sterling suspected to be counterfeit currency were recovered. The suspected counterfeited currencies recovered were sent to the Document Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Immigration Services for authentication. However the suspect Akindipe Ismaila has refunded N10,000.00 as part of the Money he swindled the victim of.

 

Status of the Case: The suspects were granted provisional bail on the 30/08/07 but were unable to meet their bail conditions until 28/09/07. However the case has been forwarded to the Legal Department of the Commission for vetting and advice.

 

 

VICTOR GIWA

 

CR/850/07

 

Complainant:  Sani Mohammed Lawal

 

Offence:                      Conspiracy, Land Scam, Forgery, Impersonation and Obtaining Money by False Pretences. 

 

Date Arrested:           11/04/2007

 

Facts of the Case:      The Petitioner Alhaji Sani Mohammed Lawal alleged that he was informed on 25/03/2003 by one Alhaji Ismaila Madobi of No. 8 Alfa Ala Street Agege of a plot of land situated at Lekki for sale which he purported belongs to one retired Major Victor Giwa of A20 Jakande Housing Estate Isolo. The petitioner haven shown interest in buying the land negotiated and agreed with Victor Giwa for the sum of Five Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira N5,500,000 while Alhaji Ismaila Madobi who serves as the agent would take a commission of Five Hundred Thousand Naira N500,000. The petitioner alleged that Alhaji Ismaila claimed to have inspected the document and the plot which he believes were genuine. This amount of Five Million Five Hundred Thousand N5,500,000 was  then paid to Victor Giwa upon confirmation by Ismaila Madobi that the documents are genuine. The complainant further stated that sometime in May of the same year Victor Giwa came to him with two C of O of two properties which he claimed were situated at Park View and Lekki Phase I and that he paid the sum of Sixty Million Naira N60,000,000 to Victor Giwa. Upon verification, the documents were all discovered to be fake while the plot of lands does not exist. He said all efforts to locate Victor Giwa proved abortive.  

 

Status of the Case: The suspects was finally arrested on 11th April 2007 with the assistance of Alhaji Ismaila Madobi and investigation carried out shows that the suspect has no visible means of livelihood other being a notorious fraudster who parades himself as an Army Officer whereas he has never for once visited any Army Formation. The case file was duplicated and sent to Legal Department and he was subsequently arraigned before Justice Oyewole of the State High Court Ikeja on 25th day of September 2007, he is remanded at the Kirikiri Prison Apapa.

 

ADENIRAN NAJEEM

CR.NO. 940/07

 

Complainant:  Intercontinental Bank Plc

 

Offence:                      Conspiracy, Stealing and Money Laundering.

 

Date Arrested:           25/08/2007

 

Facts of the Case:      On the of 8th of November, 2007 at the Intercontinental Bank Plc Ado-Ekiti branch, the sum of Two Hundred and Ninety Four Million Naira (N294, 200,000.00) was fraudulently debited into their upcountry clearing account for N266, 000,000.00 and N28, 200,000.00 with their corresponding credit into the account of Gulf International limited and Bisal Nigeria limited domiciled in Lagos and Kano respectively. The four suspected Staffs were handed over to the Team for further investigations, recovering of N294, 200,000.00 and prosecution of the perpetrators of the fraud. Further investigation to the matter reveal that the suspicious credits of N266, 000,000.00 Million into Gulf international limited account was viewed by one Adetoyinbo Samuel using is logon, a day after the transaction which is on the 9th of November, 2007. This was gotten from the computer print out of the staff that viewed the transaction, investigation into the account of Adetoyinbo Samuel reveal that he transfer the sum of N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) into the account of on Adeniran Najeem. On the 25th August, 2007 the Bank handed over Adetoyinbo Samuel and Adeniran Najeem to the Team

 

 

Status of the Case: He was later given bail conditions in which he could not meet up till 14th September, 2007 when he was eventually released on Bail to one Mr. Hameed Olayiwole Adigun of Suite 54, Agbowo Shopping Complex opposite University of Ibadan, Oyo State. He was to be reporting to the Commission’ Office at 15A Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. He has so far reported three times to the Office, on the 17/09/007, 20/09/007, and 05/10/07. His next visit is on the 26th October, 2007. The case is still under investigation.

 

ADEWALE AJAGBONA

CHARGE No.ID/118c/2007

CR. No.:669/07

 

Complainant:  Federal Republic of Nigeria

 

Offence:                      Conspiracy, Stealing, Forgery and Obtaining Money by False Pretences

Date arrested:            05/07/07

 

Facts of the Case:      In May, 2007, while the EFCC/ NPA Committee on Payment of NPA outstanding contract bills for the period 2001 to 2003 was paying contractors, at the NPA Office at Marina, Lagos, one Mrs. Calister Ogoke brought original contract award letter and collected a payment cheque for the contract. A day after Mrs. Ogoke collected the cheque, another person by name Alh. Abdulwahab Oyeniyi came with another original letter of award for the same contract to collect the payment cheque. It was discovered, immediately, that one the award letters must have been forged. Consequently, the representatives of the EFCC at the Committee commenced investigation into the matter.

 

In the course of investigation, lots of forged NPA letters of award of contracts were discovered and recovered. It was discovered that Mr. Adewale Ajagbona, a staff of the NPA is the leader of a syndicate that specializes in forging NPA Letters of Award of Contracts and using the forged letters to defraud unsuspecting NPA contractors by selling the forged letters of awards to the Contractors. The fraudster succeeded in defrauding so many NPA contractors. Adewale Ajagbona and some members of the syndicate have been identified and were arrested. The suspect was notified in writing to produce a surety for his bail.

 

Investigation on the matter has been concluded and a prima- facie case of conspiracy, forgery, stealing and obtaining money by false pretences has been established against Adewale Ajagbona. 

 

Status of the Case: The information has been filed before the State High Court Ikeja and the date of arraignment is still being awaited.

 

 

OLALEYE OLADAPO 

 

CR: 642/2007

 

 

Complainant:  National Teachers Institute Kaduna 

 

Offence:                      Stealing and Abuse of Office  

 

Date Arrested:           15/05/2007.

 

Facts of the Case:      The Commission received a petition from the National Teachers Institute Kaduna signed by the Director Dr. Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed against one Olaleye Oladapo alleging that he was given the responsibility of collecting course fees from students through his boss one Seyi Soremekun the centre supervisor appointed by the Institute. The fund was meant for the Institute School fees worth Six Million One Hundred and Seventy Seven Thousand Nine Hundred Naira N6,177,900 he  fraudulently converted the money to his personal use. Further investigation reveals that the suspect was appointed purposely to collect student’s school fees and remit same to the Institute but he fraudulently diverted the whole money to his personal use, and even printed forged Institute official receipts.  

 

Status of the Case: The suspect was arrested and the forged institute receipts were recovered in his possession, he was arraigned before a State High Court in Ikeja and remanded in Ikoyi Prison on the 25/09/2007, trail in progress.

 

IFEAYI NGIGE  

 

CR: 1100/06

 

 

Complainant:  Godwin E. Morka

 

Offence:                      Visa Scam 

 

Date Arrested:           21/11/2006.

 

Facts of the Case:      On 21/11/2006 a petition was written to NAPTIP Lagos office against Prince Ifeanyi Ngige who purportedly defrauded the following persons Gloria Etim, Blessing Oken and Boniface Etim of the sum of Six Hundred Thousand Naira N600,000  on the pretext that he will secure traveling documents/scholarship to study in Italy. NAPTIP operatives arrested Ifeanyi Ngige on 2/11/06 and he admitted collecting the sum of Three Hundred Thousand N300,000 through his Intercontinental Bank account. Subsequently the suspect and the casefile were transferred via letter Ref. No. NAPTIP/LZ/EFCC/91/1/1 dated 15/11/2006 to the Commission for discrete investigation. Further investigation reveals that Ifeanyi Ngige is an impostor who goes about defrauding innocent Nigerians by using this method of securing Visa from such victims. The suspect Ifeanyi Ngige has refunded the sum of Fifty Thousand Naira being part of the money he defrauded the victims.

 

Status of the Case: The Suspect was granted provisional bail on the 20th December 2006 to one Mr. Charles N. Enujike of AUD Senior High School Surulere Lagos as surety. Unfortunately the surety formally applied for the withdrawal of his surety ship and the suspect was rearrested and re-detained accordingly. Presently Ifeanyi Ngige is released on bail to one Miss Mercy E. Umoren of Ajegunle Lagos and the casefile is sent to Legal Department for vetting and advice.