Court orders EFCC lawyer to confirm alleged fictitious report in Ali Bello’s trial

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the EFCC lawyer, Abbas Mohammed, to confirm and report back to the court if an alleged “misleading” report on the court’s proceedings was from the commission’s website.Justice Obiora Egwuatu gave the order after the defence lawyers in the money laundering trial of Ali Bello and his co-defendants accused the EFCC of publishing untrue accounts of what transpired in court on Tuesday on its website against their clients.Abubakar Aliyu, SAN, and Nureini Jimoh, SAN, who appeared for the defendants in the alleged…

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Sanwo-Olu sues EFCC over alleged planned arrest, prosecution

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged threat to arrest, detain and prosecute him after his tenure as governor.Sanwo-Olu, through his lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, filed the fundamental right enforcement suit before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court in Abuja.When the matter was called for mention on Tuesday, Ozurumba informed the court that he had withdrawn the earlier originating summons filed and replaced it with a new one.The lawyer said the anti-graft agency had been duly served with the latest…

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Supreme Court to hear 16 state govts’ suit challenging EFCC’s Establishment Act, Oct 22

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, fixed October 22 for the hearing of a suit filed by no fewer than 16 state governments challenging the constitutionality of the laws establishing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and two others. A seven-man panel of justice, led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji, fixed the date after the states were joined as co-plaintiffs and leave granted for consolidation of the case in the suit originally filed by the Kogi State Government through its Attorney General (AG). The states that joined in the suit marked:…

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Court to deliver ruling in Yahaya Bello’s application to vacate arrest warrant May 10

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, fixed May 10 for ruling on an application by former Governor of Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, seeking an order of setting aside the April 17 arrest warrant issued against him. Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, and the ex-governor’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, adopted their processes and presented their arguments in the motion. Justice Nwite had, April 17, issued an arrest warrant to EFCC for Bello’s arrest. The order was…

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EFCC officer threatened me to indict Jonathan, Adoke, witness tells court

Mr Aliyu Abubakar, a defence witness in the trial-within-trial of the former Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke told a Federal High Court, Abuja that an EFCC officer threatened him to indict former President Goodluck Jonathan in alleged money laundering.Abubakar, who is also a co-defendant in the suit, told Justice Inyang Ekwo while being led in evidence by his counsel, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, that the officer, Mr Bala Sanga, also threatened him to indict the minister.Adoke was the Minister of Justice during President Jonathan’s administration between April 6, 2010 and April…

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Court orders interim forfeiture of private varsity, others linked to ex-director

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered the interim forfeiture of NOK University, allegedly acquired unlawfully by Anthony Hassan, a former Director of Finance and Accounts, Federal Ministry of Health.Justice Zainab Abubakar, in a ruling on an ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/688/2022 moved by counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ekele Iheanacho, ordered that the institution, including every structure in it be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government.Some of the identified structures in the university,include the Senate Building, the ICT Building, Faculty of Medicine Building, Deanery Building,…

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Alleged N400m fraud: Court to hear EFCC suit against Metuh June 22

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday fixed June 22 to hear a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the retrial of Chief Olisa Metuh, former National Publicity Secretary, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The court fixed the date following the EFCC’s appeal at the Supreme Courtl of the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal in favour of Metuh, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reliably gathered. Although the matter was listed on the Monday’s cause list, the trial judge, Emeka Nwite, was not…

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Alleged fraud: Court rejects Okorocha’s bail plea

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, refused to admit Sen. Rocha’s Okorocha, who is currently at the EFCC’s custody, to a bail.Justice Inyang Ekwo, instead, ordered Okorocha, through his lawyer, Ola Olanipekun, SAN, to put the anti-graft agency on notice.Olanipekun who had, in an ex-parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CR/28/2022, prayed the court to grant Okorocha bail on liberal terms pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice filed on May 25.The ex-parte motion was dated and filed May 26, 2022.But Justice Ekwo held that since the matter would be…

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Court clears ex-NNPC GMD Andrew Yakubu of money laundering charge

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday, discharged and acquitted Andrew Yakubu, former Group Managing Director (GMD), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) of money laundering charge.Justice Ahmed Mohammed, in a judgement, held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.Justice Mohammed said that the EFCC had failed to prove the three ingredients of Section I of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act which it relied upon.According to him, to sustain the conviction of the defendant (Yakubu) in this Act, the burden of proof…

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Alleged N29bn fraud: Court fixes Tuesday for Nyako, others to open defence

A Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed Tuesday for former Governor of Adamawa, Murtala Nyako, to open his defence in the alleged N29 billion fraud filed against him and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Okon Abang fixed the date on Monday after counsel to the defendants prayed the court for an adjournment to enable them prepare for their defence. The court had, earlier, ordered Nyako and others to enter their defence shortly after the matter was called following Leke Atolagbe, counsel to the EFCC’s application…

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