I Was Let Down After My Struggle For Buhari Government – Pro-APC Blogger, Abusidiq

A pro-All Progressives Congress, APC government blogger, Mr. Abubakar Sidiq Usman, better known as Abusidiq, who was arrested and detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, over an alleged story he posted on his website, says he was let down despite his struggle for President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

Abusidiq was however released on Tuesday evening by the anti-graft agency following general public criticisms.

However, after regaining his freedom, the Abuja-based political blogger took to his website to slam the Buhari administration for allegedly enabling acts that contradicted the spirit of his campaign.

He wrote: “This experience has stirred up broader conversations on the roles of our statutory established institutions, the parameters of our laws, and our civil liberties as citizens of our great Federal Republic.

“Moving forward, I will be pursuing all legal and constitutionally established avenues to ensure that this does not repeat itself.

“This is a government that I fought for. But occurrences like these are not the experiences that myself and millions of Nigerians have fought for.

“The reason(s) for my arrest will be made know to you all.

“I would like to thank my family, my friends, my legal team, the members of the All Progressives Congress Youth Forum (APYF), political parties, members of the Nigerian online community irrespective of their affiliations, and hundreds of thousands of Nigerians who in one way or another spoke out against my unconstitutional detention by the EFCC.

“Your tweets, posts, and demands for the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of speech led to my release and the victory that we have achieved today.

“I hope that we can use this to rectify the wrongs in our system towards the attainment of a more sustainable democracy.

“Thank you all for the love and support you showed me,” he added.

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How I Transferred N1.2bn From Obanikoro Son’s Account – Bank Staff

Mr. Olaitan Fajuyitan, who is the Head of Treasury Operations at Diamond Bank, in his statement at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s office, revealed how he transferred N1.2bn from the bank account of a company belonging to Gbolahan Obanikoro, a son of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence.

He said, “On June 16, 2014, my boss, Premier Oiwoh, told me to do a transaction for Sylvan McNamara. The instruction was for the payment of N1.2bn.

“The customer’s physical instruction was that its account number, 0026223714, be debited with N1.2bn and pay the following people: Saturaki Bello, N200m; Yusuf Bulama, N120m; Chimenum Njoku, N250m; Franklin Tolani, N150m; Josiah Moses, N280; and Abubakar Sadiq Zanna, N200m.

“My supervisor (Oiwoh) asked me to provide the funds for the Cash-In-Transit unit for onward payment to the beneficiaries.”

It was gathered that the cash, which was originally released for the six beneficiaries, was handed over to Gbolahan under the pretence that the six persons could not be located.

Damola Otuyalo, the Head of Cash-in-Transit Services, had told the EFCC that, “The beneficiaries were not available to be paid as I did not see them and I was later directed by Mr. Premier Oiwoh to move the money to the airport where I will be given further instruction.

“We moved the cash to the airport through the Cash-In-Transit vendor, Bankers Warehouse Limited. I contacted the vendor who made the bullion van available for movement. I personally supervised the loading of the money into the bullion van and escorted them to the airport.”

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N40bn 2016 Budget Padding: Arrest Dogara, Others – Jibrin Urges EFCC, ICPC

Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, speaking through his Twitter handle called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, to arrest the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara and three other principal officers of the Green Chambers for attempting to pad the 2016 Budget.

The former Appropriations Committee Chairman urged the anti-graft agencies to arrest and prosecute all principal officers of the House and other members of the House.

He said: “This is 24 hours after my lawyers requested the EFCC and ICPC to grant me a date and time to personally deliver my petition on Mr. Speaker and three others.

“EFCC and ICPC are yet to revert to me. I decided to go personally so that in addition to the petition I can provide some further insight to them.

“EFCC and ICPC must arrest the Speaker, the three others and few others members in my petition immediately.

“They are running to high places, looking for cover.”

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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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Publish Dasuki’s Statement, My Accounts, Fayose Dares EFCC

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, has faulted the refusal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to make public the statement it extracted from Col. Sambo Dasuki, the former National Security Adviser, NSA, in its ongoing probe of money meant for the purchase of arms and the funding of the last general elections in the country.

The governor also asked efcc to publish his personal accounts it froze to let the whole world know what is contained therein.

Fayose threw the challenge, weekend, while featuring on an interview programme on a radio station, Fresh FM, he said, ‘’Dasuki’s statement, will at least show whether the ex-NSA gave money to former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro or anybody to give me (Fayose).’’

In a statement by Mr Idowu Adelusi, his Chief Press Secretary, the governor said: “What I am facing in Ekiti is a war of the elite and incidentally, it is the masses that vote people into office. We know some failed Ekiti politicians who now resume daily in EFCC office to concoct stories and give same for publication. It is only one or two newspapers that always have their so-called exclusive stories and they follow the same pattern.

“The EFCC is only engaged in a mind game. They think they can wear me out. That is not possible as God is on my side because I stand for the truth. EFCC has not told Nigerians how money was wired to me. What the EFCC and their collaborators are trying to do is to set the people of the state against me and they have failed.

“For my two accounts they frozen, I have N300 million in the fixed deposit in one and N82 million in the other. Both accounts and my properties were duly declared in my Asset Declaration Form. They are treading the same 2006 path and they will fail woefully by the grace of God. What they did in 2006, was declared illegal by the Supreme Court and I came back to office exactly eight years after. It means one of us lied,” he said.

“After the APC leaders failed to stop my inauguration, get me impeached, they know that they will still lose again in 2018. What they are trying to do is to create a wedge between me and the people of the state who love me. As far as I am concerned, their project is dead on arrival. The voice of the people is the voice of God,” he stated.

Why Court Granted Fayose’s Aide, Agbele, N50m Bail; Fined EFCC N5m

Justice Olukayode Adeniyi of an Abuja High Court at Maitama, admitted Mr. Abiodun Agbele, an aide to Governor Ayodele Fayose on bail to the tune of N50 million.

Agbele, who had through his lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, approached the high court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

Justice Adeniyi while delivering judgment on the matter, declared the action of the EFCC in detaining Agbele beyond the period stipulated by the law as wrongful, unlawful and unconstitutional.

He said the continued detention of the applicant without trial or a valid court order was in breach of his fundamental human rights.
Consequently, Justice Adeniyi imposed a fine of N5million on the EFCC, saying the money should be given to the applicant as compensation for his unlawful arrest and detention.

The judge said the anti-graft agency could not controvert the allegation that it has kept the applicant in its custody beyond the period stipulated in section 35 of the 1999 constitution.

According to the court, the fine it imposed on the agency was to make it learn how to operate within the ambit of the law.

How Agbele Allegedly Bought N1.3bn Houses For Fayose – EFCC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it has made a breakthrough in the alleged corruption case against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and his associate, Mr. Abiodun Agbele who is currently in EFCC custody. Agbele was said to have received N1.219bn from a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, on behalf of Fayose, in June 2014.

An investigator said that Fayose used Agbele to buy the two houses in Abuja, using bank loans from Skye Bank and Zenith Bank on the surface in a way that would make the source of the money look legitimate. However, the stolen money was used in offsetting the bank loans.

The detective said, “From the Dasuki funds, they had about N300m stashed in one account. However, when they were going to buy the N270m property located on Yedseram Street, they did not use the N300m from the stolen funds. Rather, they obtained a loan of N120m in the name of Spotless Hotel from Zenith Bank to deposit for the house.

“They then took about N150m out of the Dasuki money to pay the balance on the house and then used the same Dasuki funds to offset the loan. They went through all this stress to cover their tracks and make it look as if it was a bank loan they used in buying the property.

“Why did they take a loan that would be gathering interest when they had more than enough money to buy the house?”

The source said, “The worth of the four duplexes in Lagos is N1.1bn which was sold by Still Earth Nigeria Ltd. However, Fayose and Agbele paid Still Earth N1.3bn in cash and then told the company to transfer the balance of N200m to Skye Bank. It was that N200m that was used in purchasing the building at 44 Osun River Crescent, Abuja. This was done so that no one would be able to trace the fund to them.”

“This is a new discovery and we want to know why such funds would be released by local governments because so far there is no evidence of any contract between the local government and Agbele,” the source said.

Dasukigate: EFCC Quizzes Former SGF, Olu Falae

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has picked up and quizzed Chief Olu Falae, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, over his alleged role in the $15bn arms scandal.

According to an investigator who spoke to PUNCH newspaper, Falae was quizzed for hours by investigators at the commission’s office on Thursday before being allowed to go home on the condition that he would return in the next two weeks.

A detective said, “Chief Falae came to our office based on an invitation. He told us the story of how he received N100m based on the instruction of Anenih. However, our investigations revealed that Falae only transferred N60m to his party, SDP.

“The remaining N40m was personally withdrawn by him, which means it was not used for campaign. When he was confronted, he started appealing to us that he did not want to be detained or taken to court, so we told him to go and bring the N40m first.

How I Transported Over N1.219bn To Fayose On An Aircraft – Pilot Makes Shocking Revelation To EFCC

Captain Ahmed Borodo has revealed to the EFCC how he flew Musiliu Obanikoro, the former Minister of State for Defence, and eight green military bags of cash allegedly containing N1.219bn from Lagos to Akure airport, where the cash were handed over to Abiodun Agbele, who is an aide of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.

The captain made the revelation while being questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, last week.

The report by punch quoted an investigator as saying, “The pilot told us that on June 17, 2014, he was instructed by his company around 7am to prepare the aircraft for an 8.30am flight from Lagos to Akure. He was informed that the client was Obanikoro. He said he along with his colleagues including one Capt. Olubiyi Famuyiwa got on the plane.

“He said Obanikoro’s aides arrived at the tarmac with some bullion vans and started offloading the contents which were in big green tarpaulin bags. He informed them that the aircraft could only carry about eight or nine bags due to its small size.

“The pilot said at that point, Obanikoro intervened and began pleading with him to allow them load all the bags on the plane but he refused and then the minister, his ADC and a friend boarded the plane and the aircraft departed.

“The pilot said on getting to the Akure airport, some soldiers received them and the bags were offloaded and put into a bullion van. He noted that the plane returned empty to Lagos.

“He said that the next day, he returned to Akure and then flew Obanikoro to Abuja with his Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Adewale.”

BUHARI IS TRYING TO KILL PDP USING EFCC – SECONDUS

Uche Secondus, former acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lamenting the arrest and prosecution of members of the PDP in the past year, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to subdue the opposition.

Secondus said, “There is absolute absence of the rule of law in the pursuit of this anti-corruption crusade,” he said.

“We in the PDP are in total support of the anti-corruption fight but we believe that due process and the rule of law are not being followed.

“We are not in a garrison command structure, a person can be invited or arrested if he resists but the rule of law must be followed.

“We know there are ex-governors who are ministers now, why are they not probing them? Why are they not inviting them? It is absolutely wrong.

“The partiality is obvious now, and Nigerians know, the world now knows that the agenda of this government is to kill the PDP

“It is absolutely wrong to say PDP feels comfortable with corruption. Let me ask this question, if the PDP had no interest in fighting corruption, would we have set up the EFCC, ICPC (Independent Corrupt Practices Commission) and all other institutions?

“All these institutions were set up by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo who headed a PDP-led government”, he added.

COURT ORDERS EFCC TO RELEASE JONATHAN'S COUSIN

AN Abuja High Court, sitting at Maitama, yesterday, ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to immediately release Mr. Azibaola Robert, cousin of former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who has been in detention since March 23.

BREAKING: EFCC TO ARREST FORMER PRESIDENT JONATHAN

Following the ongoing investigations into the activities of the former PDP-led administration, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said indications hint that Former President Goodluck Jonathan may be arrested before the end of the second quarter of 2015.

A source within the anti-graft agency, EFCC, has disclosed that the former president may be arrested before May 29, 2016 following an arrest made two weeks ago by the agency.

EX-HEAD OF SERVICE, STEVE ORONSAYE REARRESTED, CHARGED WITH 419 SCAM

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has rearrested former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Steve Oronsaye for alleged corruption and obtaining money by false pretense, at his Abuja residence at about 4.30 pm, yesterday Tuesday.

The former Civil Service boss is already being prosecuted by the EFCC on a 24-count charge of money laundering before a Federal High Court, Abuja, for N6.2 billion fraud.

WHO IS DOUBLE-DEALING? - EX-CDS ALEX BADEH DARES EFCC TO PROVE $1M WAS FOUND IN HIS HOUSE

Reports that $1m was found and recovered in one of the houses of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.) has been refuted by Badeh's cousel, describing it as a "totally false and smacks of media campaign of calumny against the person of Air Marshal Alex."

The money was reported to have been recovered after detectives searched a mansion located at 6, Ogun River Street, Maitama, Abuja.

EX-CDS ALEX BADEH LAMENTS BEING TREATED 'UNFAIRLY' BY THE EFCC, SAYS HE'S BEING "PERSECUTED"

In a statement made available to PremiumTimes, Nigeria's former defence chief, Alex Badeh, has denied allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission that he was involved in Dasukigate. 

The former defence chief, who has been in the EFCC's custody for more than three weeks described his detention as "persecution".

Mr. Badeh laments that his rights are being violated in a country where he fought so hard to protect against Boko Haram insurgency.

BOTCHED IMMIGRATION RECRUITMENT: FORMER MINISTER TO BE DOCKED FOR DUPING JOB SEEKERS

Ex-Nigerian Minister Abba Moro to be docked Monday for allegedly duping job seekers

Abba Moro Photo: DailyPost.ng

EFCC INVESTIGATES OONI OF IFE, OBA OGUNWUSI OVER N400M FRAUD

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced the investigation of the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and his company, Metropole Interproject Limited, over his involvement in an alleged N400 million forgery.

ALLEGED MONEY LAUNDERING: EFCC INTERROGATES ONDO MONARCH

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, towards the end of last week interrogated a flamboyant monarch from Ondo State, Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan in connection with his suspected involvement in money laundering.

TROUBLE FOR ORJI KALU AS FG REOPENS HIS TRIAL

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are on the back of former governor of Abia state, Orji Uzor Kalu for money laundering, official corruption and criminal diversion of public funds in excess of N5 billion.

Former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu

EFCC ARRESTS DIEZANI'S HUSBAND OVER ALLEGED MONEY LAUNDERING

The husband to former Minister of Petroleum Resources Diezani Alison-Madueke, Mr. Alison Amaechina Madueke yesterday, was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on grounds of illegally laundering over $600, 000 through his personal accounts.

According to an inside source:

"He was interrogated for many hours and later released on administrative bail. But to make sure he doesn’t “fall sick and travel out as they usually do, the EFCC has seized Mr. Madueke’s passport and placed him under surveillance."

He is expected to return to the anti-graft agency headquarters today.