EFCC Seizes N872m Houses From Ex-FCT Minister, Son; Probes Fictitious Contracts, Allocations

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized four houses worth N872 million  belonging to a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Sen. Bala Mohammed, and his son, Shamsudeen Bala who is being investigated for fictitious contracts of about N1billion, allocation of 12 choice plots worth billions of naira and 37 other commercial plots of land worth about N8 billion to his suspected front named Tariq Hammoud.

EFCC said it had obtained an interim forfeiture order to confiscate a N650 million house at 1 and 3, Mariam Mukhtar Street, Asokoro, with the same forfeiture order  also secured to seize the ex-minister’s son three duplexes costing about N222 million in the Apo Area of Abuja.

A source  told the Nation that: “Some of those quizzed so far confessed that Bala used unconventional methods in raking illicit funds and laundering same. Each time the ex-minister allocated a plot of land, he would find out the market value and ask you to pay half of the amount to him in cash.

“For instance if a plot of land was N2 billion, Bala would ask for N1 billion cash from the prospective buyer. He was smart in collecting cash.

“But the EFCC has traced allocation of 37 commercial plots to Hammoud and how N8billion was made from it. In fact, we saw a proposal by Tariq Hammoud to sell some of the plots.

“So far, our operatives have arrested, detained and quizzed Shamsudeen (son). He is presently on administrative bail. We have also interrogated Hammoud.”

“We are investigating him (Bala), though we are yet to invite him for questioning. Certainly, we are closing in on him.”

The source added that EFCC had grilled top directors of the FCT administration. “As for Ms Jamila Tangaza, we arrested and detained her because she was connected with the land scam and abuse of office.

“The ex-minister asked her to resign her appointment with BBC and appointed her as a Senior Special Assistant on Media and Information. But Bala allocated some plots of land to her to sell in order to acquire a mansion in Asokoro District too. Her house was allegedly worth N158million.

“Also, Jamila allegedly abused her office by awarding N800million contracts to her company which is called Songbird Multimedia.

“Her case was interesting. When she registered the company with the Corporate Affairs Commission, she used a fictitious name as the CEO of the company but she is the sole signatory to the company’s account and her phone number is the point of contact with the firm.

“We have sent her signature on CAC document and other specimen signatures collected from her to a forensic laboratory. Following a court order, we detained her in the past few days but as at Friday, she was pleading that we should grant her bail. We are looking into her request.”

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Corruption: EFCC Goes After Orji Kalu, Saraki, Akume, Alao-Akala, Others

The Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commsision, EFCC, to reopen the corruption cases against some former governors in Nigeria.

Among those on the EFCC list are Saraki, a former Governor of Kwara State; Akpabio (a former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and Sheriff (an ex-Governor of Borno State).

Other former governors include Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia); Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu); Saminu Turaki (Jigawa); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Joshua Dariye (Plateau); Ahmed Yerima (Zamfara); Gabriel Suswam (Benue); Martin Elechi (Ebonyi); Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).

They also include Ikedi Ohakim (Imo); Obong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom); Achike Udenwa (Imo); Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa); Gbenga Daniel (Ogun); Jolly Nyame (Taraba); Boni Haruna (Adamawa); George Akume (Benue); Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo); Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto) and Adebayo Alao-Akala.

Others are Usman Dakingari (Kebbi); Adamu Mu’azu (Bauchi); Peter Odili (Rivers), and Lucky Igbindedion (Edo).

The letter partly read, “It is clear that some of these governors and other politically-exposed persons have not been charged to court despite the fact that the ICPC has concluded their investigations, concerning allegations levelled against them, for one reason or the other.

“It is the position of the present administration that all ex-governors, who the ICPC had long concluded investigations into the various allegations levelled against them, should be immediately prosecuted.”

The letter also gave the Chairman of the ICPC a 14-day ultimatum to “remit the duplicate case files concerning the politically-exposed persons investigated by the ICPC over the years” to the office of the AGF.

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Buhari's Anti-Corruption War Is Partial – NBA

The Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ogidi branch in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra, Mr Samuel Chukwukelu has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to extend his corruption war to other segments and political facets to gain the support of all.

He said, “There is corruption everywhere, not only in the judiciary; the entire system is corrupt and that is why I am fully in support of fighting corruption but our concern is that it should be fought holistically.

“It should not be lopsided; I know and still stand to defend it that the corruption President Muhammadu Buhari is fighting is lopsided,” the chairman said.

“Unfortunately, the people surrounding him; his aides and commissioners, most of them are corrupt and do not allow him to see the reality to know the yearnings of the people.

“Gov. Obiano should sometimes go outside to seek information and feel the pulse directly from the people,” Chukwukelu said.

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FAYOSE ACCUSES BUHARI OF SHIELDING HIS MEN FROM PROBE, CALLS HIM GRANDFATHER OF CORRUPTION

The Governor of Ekiti State, Governor Ayodele Fayose has accused the Presidency of shielding his men from probe, the Governor said that President Buhari was acting like the grandfather of corruption in Nigeria and demanded the release of alleged authentic report of the Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement in the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The governor in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, described the claim by the federal government that the probe panel only looked into procurement and contracts awarded by the military between 2011-2015 because documents regarding procurement from 2007 to 2010 were not available as an indication of his support for corruption.

The statement read “it is now obvious to the entire world that anyone that is in President Buhari’s good books can never be adjudged as corrupt even if such a person is caught looting the entire money in Nigeria’s treasury.”

SARAKI MOVES TO REPEAL THE FEDERAL LAWS UNDER WHICH HE IS BEING TRIED BY MOBILIZING NIGERIAN SENATORS

Senate President Bukola Saraki

Saharareporters reports that in another desperate attempt to evade justice, Senate President Bukola Saraki convened a meeting last night in his home with "likeminded" Senators during which they agreed to go after two of the major laws that have ensnared him.

THE PANAMA PAPERS AND A COUNTRY SUFFERING FROM ACUTE LETHARGY BY KWESI BAAKO

Once again, that lackluster response that greets almost every important issue that is not directly ‘bread and butter’ showed its face when the ‘Panama Papers’ surfaced this week.

Ghanaians once again reacted as if it was just another ordinary story. I do not blame us entirely, after all, hadn’t John Addo Kufour, eldest son of Ghana’s former President John Agyekum Kufour been in the news in the not so distant past for activities that at best slightly embarrassed his father, the then President of Ghana? So why should there be a loud “wow” over a case of corruption concerning someone who had been in and out of a high profile corruption case.

CORRUPTION: HOW ENUGU JUDGE RECEIVED 'N10 MILLION' FROM LITIGANT

The Enugu state chief judge, Justice I. A. Umezulike, has been queried by the National Judicial Council over an accusation that he accepted N10 million donation from a litigant who had a case before his court.

This was contained in a petition filed by an Enugu legal practitioner, Peter N. Eze, on February 2016.

According to Vanguard, the chief judge had invited the litigant to his book launch, where the litigant was said to have made the donation to him.

IN OTHER CLIMES, CORRUPTION IS CONSIDERED A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY - VP OSINBAJO TALKS TOUGH AT PAST LEADERS

In other climes, the kind of corruption witnessed in Nigeria in the past, would be described as a crime against humanity, says the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.