Crime & Court
Ex-minister Diezani forfeited jewellery worth N14.4bn, houses valued at $80m, says EFCC
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has revealed that the jewellery forfeited by the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke is worth N14.4 billion.
The Commission’s chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, who disclosed
this on Friday when he appeared before the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the assessment and status of recovered loot, said the “jewellery forfeited from the former minister has been valued by relevant government agencies and the estimated value of the jewellery is 14.4 billion naira.”
He added that the estimated value of the houses seized and forfeited from Diezani is $80 million. Bawa further informed that the assets are in the custody of the commission and have not been sold.
The House of Reps committee is assessing the status of all recovered loot moveable and immovable assets from 2002-2020 by agencies of government.
It would be recalled that a Federal High Court in Lagos had in September 2019 granted a final forfeiture of the jewellery to the federal government.
According to Justice Nicholas Oweibo, who ruled over the matter, the former minister had failed to show cause why the jewellery should not be forfeited to the Nigerian government.
In his application for the final forfeiture order, Counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo had told the judge that the expensive jewellery comprising wristwatches, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, earrings, a customized gold phone, and more were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities of the former minister.
Meanwhile, the EFCC, had earlier this year, handed a property forfeited by the former minister to the Lagos government for use as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients.
However, following an order of a Federal High Court in Lagos in 2017, the six flats of three bedrooms and a boys’ quarter had been forfeited to the federal government.
Crime & Court
EFCC Secures Public Summons Against Yahaya Bello in ₦110bn Case
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has issued a public summons for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to appear in court to respond to a fresh 16-count indictment.
The summons requires Bello to attend court on October 24 for his arraignment, alongside co-defendants Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
The public summons was ordered following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In her ruling, Justice Anenih directed the EFCC to publish the summons in a widely circulated newspaper to ensure proper notification.
Also, the court instructed the EFCC to post copies of the public summons at Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous locations within the court premises.
The EFCC has reported difficulties in serving the charges, which were filed on September 24, alleging that Bello and the two co-defendants committed a criminal breach of trust involving a staggering ₦110.4 billion.
Crime & Court
Police Officer Stabs Civilian to Death Over ‘Uncleared Transaction’
A Police Inspector, Mohammed Bulama, attached to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) 41 in Yobe State, has been arrested for allegedly killing a 39-year-old civilian, Abdulmalik Dauda, during a confrontation in Damaturu, the state capital.
The incident, which occurred on September 29, 2024, was sparked by a heated argument between Bulama and Dauda over “uncleared transactions” in the Zango area of Damaturu. The argument escalated, leading Bulama to fatally stab Dauda in the chest.
In a statement, the Yobe State Police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed Bulama’s arrest and announced that an investigation into the homicide case had been launched.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Ahmed, has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident involving Inspector Mohammed Bulama,” Abdulkarim said.
He further disclosed that the officer has been placed in custody, pending internal disciplinary action and prosecution.
CP Ahmed condemned the actions of the officer, extending his condolences to the family of the victim.
He also assured the public that justice would be served swiftly in accordance with the law.
Crime & Court
Police Summon Officers Over Alleged N1m Corps Members’ Extortion
The Lagos State Police Command has summoned three officers accused of extorting N1 million from members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the Surulere area of Lagos.
Footage of the incident, which went viral on social media late Friday, shows the officers confronting the corps members, reportedly over the absence of a physical copy of a driver’s license. The video was shared by social media user Oluyemi Fasipe, who claimed that the officers threatened the corps members with firearms and forcibly took them to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, the Area C Command of the Lagos State Police, where they allegedly extorted the sum of N1 million.
“Dear @BenHundeyin, Your officers today in Surulere extorted 1 million naira from three corps members,” Fasipe wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They were threatened with firearms, kidnapped, and taken to the KAFARU OLUWOLE TINUBU HOUSE AREA C POLICE COMMAND of the @LagosPoliceNG where they were robbed.”
Fasipe added that the entire incident stemmed from the corps members’ inability to present a physical copy of a driver’s license, a situation he described as “evil.”
In one of the videos, the officers are seen inspecting the vehicle’s documents, with the situation escalating as additional officers arrived. One officer can be seen entering the car and demanding that the corps members stop recording the incident, while also prohibiting them from contacting their families.
In response, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the officers involved have been summoned, and an investigation is underway.
“The men have been summoned, and their trial has commenced,” Hundeyin wrote on X. “We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response Unit at the State Headquarters to testify at the ongoing trial.”
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