Ademola stood before Justice K. Babs of the Federal High Court 1, Ado-Ekiti Judicial Division, while the duo of Aladetutu and Fadairo were convicted by Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State.

They had earlier approached the Commission for a plea bargain agreement which informed the amended charge of impersonation of which they were found guilty on Tuesday.

Based on the agreement, Justice Babs convicted and sentenced Ademola to four months in prison.

He equally ordered him to restitute a total sum of $413 (Four Hundred and Thirteen United States Dollars) to his victim through the EFCC, and forfeit his Samsung laptop, Infinix smart phone and one MTN modem to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

While Aladetutu bagged three months jail term, Fadairo was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Justice Emmanuel also ordered Aladetutu to restitute to his victim through the EFCC the sum of $400 (Four Hundred United States of America Dollars), and forfeit his iphone 7 Phone to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Fadairo was ordered to restitute the sum of $500 (Five Hundred Dollars) to his victim and also forfeit his Tecno Phone to the Federal Government.

The post Court Sentences Three Internet Fraudsters To Prison first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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Saraki, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, also noted that the Federal High Court in Abuja presided by Justice Taiwo Taiwo had given an order “restraining the respondents (Commission) by themselves, their subordinates, agents, servants, or privies howsoever, from seizing, impounding, taking over, confiscating or otherwise forfeiting the Applicant’s (Saraki) right to own and peacefully enjoy any of his assets and properties”.

“The EFCC’s claim that the Ilorin property was built by any proceed of fraud is outrightly false.

“The fact is that the Ilorin property was built partly by the Kwara State Government pursuant to the Third Schedule of the Governor and Deputy Governor (Payment of Pension) Law 2010 while Dr. Saraki personally funded the remaining cost of the building.

“There are existing letters from the Office of the Head of Service of Kwara State notifying the former Governor (Saraki) of the State Government’s compliance with the State Pension for Governor’s law and the one indicating his intention to bear the cost of the additional expenditure that will arise from building the property to his desired taste dated 25th January 2012 and 8th February 2012 respectively,” the statement explained.

He stressed  that the construction of the building did not commence until the last few weeks of his tenure as Governor and the bulk of his contribution to the funding were made with cheques.

“Where cash was involved, this was mainly in 2012 and 2013, more than a year after he had left office as Governor. So, where is the claim that the money for the construction of the house fraudulent obtained from Kwara State Government coming from? It should also be noted that the land on which the house is built is not a government allocated land.”

Saraki further alleged that the EFCC is playing politics and spreading falsehood in its attempt to witch-hunt and intimidate a perceived enemy.

While disclosing that Saraki will contest the matter in the court, the statement however noted that  EFCC’s penchant for abusing the nation’s judicial institution is the reason why it filed a suit in Lagos on a property situate in Ilorin.

The post Saraki Breaks Silence, Says EFCC’s Action Is Abuse Of Court Process first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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In a joint judgment, a three-man panel of the court expunged the requirement that Dasuki produced a Level 16 civil servant, who must own a property worth N100million within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as surety.

In the lead judgment, Justice Stephen Adah said the inclusion of civil servants as surety was an oversight on the part of the court.

He also ordered that Colonel Dasuki should instead; produce two sureties, with property worth N100 million within the FCT.

Colonel Dasuki, who is currently being held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) despite being granted bail, challenged his continued detention since December 2015 before the Federal High Court in Abuja through a fundamental rights enforcement suit.

According to the July 2, 2018 judgment, the Federal High Court granted Dasuki bail but attached conditions, which the ex-NSA found too stringent to meet.

He asked the appeal court on that issue and sought a review of the bail conditions, a request the appellate court acceded to in its decision of June 13, 2019.

Part of the new conditions set by the Court of Appeal was that Dasuki produces a surety, who must be a Level 16 official in the Civil Service of either the Federal or state government, who must as well  own a property worth N100m within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Dasuki who also found this part of the latest conditions difficult to meet, returned to the court, via an application, and prayed for a further review.

He said in the application that it was difficult to find a Level 16 Civil Servant who could own N100m worth of property in Abuja through his legitimate earnings.

Justice Adah, in the Appeal Court judgment, said the court’s decision to request that Dasuki produce a civil servant as surety was an oversight.

“Of concern to us is that we as a court must be ready and sensitive enough not to do anything that will run against the laws of the land.

“The issue of involving civil servants or public officers in the service of the federation or the state in bail of people accused of offences has never been the practice anywhere that is civilised, and we should stop it at this level.

“It was an error that we allowed that to stay. So, it is in this respect that we will act ex debito justitiae (as a matter of right) ensuring that aspect of the condition is removed from the conditions of bail that were granted.

“It is in this respect that we grant this application, thereby inaugurating a new regime of bail. Bail is now granted to the appellant/applicant in the sum of N100m with two sureties in like sum.

“The sureties shall be resident within the jurisdiction of the trial court and each of which shall furnish evidence of ownership of the property in Abuja. This shall be the order of the court,” Justice Adah said.

Justices Abubakar Yahaya and Emmanuel Agim, who were also on the panel, agreed with the lead judgment.

The post Appeal Court Grants Dasuki’s Request, Varies Bail Condition first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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The accused persons were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, on Tuesday, October 29, 2019, on criminal charges bordering on conspiracy, money laundering and obtaining money by false pretense.

Fatai Olalere Alli

The court had earlier granted the Commission’s prayer for an order of interim forfeiture of properties traced to Alli as well as freezing of accounts he allegedly used to received proceeds of crime.

According to the count-one of the charges, Olusegun and Kolawole conspired with Alli to obtain money under false pretenses from one Attiogbe, Daniel Babatunde.

The charges against the trio contravene Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section 1 (10 (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

Before their arrest, the Commission had received several intelligence reports linking Alli to series of fraud allegations involving large sums of money.

Details on the intelligence alleged that he engages in money doubling through which he swindled and collected money from his victims with the promise of using his ‘spiritual powers’ to multiply the sums for them, but would instead divert same to his personal use.
He was arrested on July 9, 2019. His confessions later led to the arrest of his conspirators.

The Commission thereafter filed an application seeking an interim forfeiture order of the properties and accounts of the suspects.
The application is pursuant to Sections 28, 29, and 34(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Comission (Establishment) Act, 2004, Sections 333 and 337 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Section 44 (1)2)(k) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and under the Interim Jurisdiction of the Honourable Court.

Justice Ajoku granted the application of the EFCC and ordered that the properties of the suspects be temporarily forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

She also ordered the freezing of their bank accounts pending the conclusion of the investigation, prosecution and final determination of the cases against them.

The properties include five buildings, three cars and hectares of farm land.

Today, the accused persons were called upon to take their plea.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Alli pleaded not guilty to 22-count charges, Olusegun pleaded not guilty to 32-count charges, while Kolawole pleaded not guilty to his one-count charge of conspiracy.

Due to the not-guilty plea, prosecution counsel, Oluwatinuwe Daramola, prayed the court for a trial date and an order to remand the accused persons in prison custody.

However. counsels to the accused persons prayed the court for a short date to hear the applications of their respective clients.
Bala Yakubu represented Alli, Babatunde Ajibola stood in for Olusegun, while Oluwole Adeosun advocated for Kolawole.

The presiding judge, however, refused their prayers stating that their applications were not yet before the court.

She said the court registrar would communicate the date for bail argument to the parties once the applications are properly brought before the court.

Justice Ajoku then ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody as she adjourned the matter to November 22, 2019 for trial.

The post Ibadan: Court Remands Fake Native Doctor, Two Others In Prison, Orders Interim Forfeiture of Properties {Photos} first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Ibadan: Court Remands Fake Native Doctor, Two Others In Prison, Orders Interim Forfeiture of Properties {Photos} appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Mr. Buhari  introduced himself as the Head of the Forensic Department at the Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Buhari also informed that he had, on various occasions, trained and mentored with the South Korean police department and the FBI respectively.

In his testimony before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, the forensic expert testified that various stolen credit cards information was retrieved from the musicians’ laptop. Apart from the stolen credit cards information, website visit history recovered from the device showed that the top five most visited sites dealt with buying and selling stolen credit card information

According to him, “during analysis, the cache file and history file revealed that the most frequently visited sites by the user of the computer include arder007.org, Zuni.sa, nationwidecheckbalance.co.uk, ferunshop.net, and cocoa.co.uk.

“Analysis of the websites revealed that web 1 is where stolen card information is being sold to intending fraudsters, web 2 is for stolen credit cards specifically for the UK, web 3 is an online website designed for UK cardholders to check their balance wherever they are around the world, web 4 is a dark web meaning an underground tunnel in the internet where stolen credit card information is sold and traded, web 5 is an online shopping mall where members are given discounts for shopping from certain shops. ”

In answer to questions from the EFCC Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness also told the court that stolen credit card information with a special status that allows transactions up-to $12,000 without a pin or physical card was found in a file named “select BIN 101.txt and .txt.”

“For the note file, two major files were discovered named .txt which contained about four credit card information belonging to four different personalities in the UK including one Nicole Louise. ”

“The second file is named selected BIN101.txt containing Bank Identification Number of European, American and Latin American banks.

“When we ran the BIN code search for the first six digits of the cards, it revealed they are Visa cards issued by Barclay’s bank, Sandander UK PLC.

“We identified that certain banks in the US, Europe, and Asia with certain peculiarities, these are banks that they issue credit cards without pins based on the high level of trust, they allow a transaction of up to $12,000 in a swipe on POS.

“Cards issued by those banks are card not required. All you need to execute a transaction is the card number and the CVV number. ”

Mr. Buhari further added that suspicious apps that are mostly used by people with shady deals on the internet were found on the laptop.

“We analysed installed apps on the laptop and we found two apps that enable the owner of the computer to decide the server of a bank as to his identity and location, IP VANISH and TOR browser.

“The TOR browser is sometimes called the onion. Most of the criminals cover their tracks with various layers just like an onion using this app to make it near impossible for a tracker to track their location.

“The IP VANISH is a virtual private network (VPN) which provides that the actual computer and location of usage cannot be identified. It also gives the user the ability to change their location. ”

Mr. Buhari disclosed that an analysis of the administrator account on the laptop revealed that the admin is one Naira Marley and the account was connected to his iCloud account.

The EFCC counsel has tendered in evidence, the request made by the commission for the analysis of the apple laptop mac book pro and an iPhone allegedly confiscated from the defendant. The court admitted them in evidence along with the forensic laboratory report which was prepared by Mr. Buhari, the witness.

Counsel to the defendant, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) has however asked the court for an adjournment.

The counsel told the court that most of the statements made by the witness was not contained in the witness statements made available to him by the prosecution and he was just hearing the evidence for the first time.

He, therefore, asked the court to grant the adjournment to enable him to closely review the testimony before cross-examining the witness.

Justice Oweibo has, however adjourned till tomorrow, 24th October for cross-examination of the witness.

The post Forensic Expert Testifies Against Naira Marley, Says Stolen Credit Card Information Was Retrieved first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Forensic Expert Testifies Against Naira Marley, Says Stolen Credit Card Information Was Retrieved appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos  on Thursday discharged and acquitted Dudafa, a former Senior Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs and the banker, who were both charged with N1.6billon fraud.

EFCC said they are studying the details of the judgment and will approach the appeal court immediately.

The defendants were arraigned on a 22-count charge bordering on money laundering, conspiracy and concealment to the tune of N1.6bn.

The defendants allegedly conspired and laundered the fund through the accounts of A.B. Wise Resources Limited, Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, Rotato Interlink Service Limited, Pluto Property and Services Limited, and De-jakes fast food and Restaurant Limited.

They pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them, thereby leading to their trial.

Parties in the trial had, on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, adopted their final written addresses after Dudafa had closed his defence on January 22, 2019.

In his Thursday’s judgment, Justice Muhammed Idris held that the prosecution, through his counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, failed to prove the charges against the defendant beyond reasonable doubts.

Justice Idris, also held that the prosecution failed to call “material witnesses”, including former President Jonathan, one Somprei Omeibi, the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele and ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki.

The Judge  further held that “the prosecution did its best, but it failed to conclude an investigation before going to court.”

Justice Idris, in his further judgment, however dismissed the entire 22 counts against Dudafa and Iwuejo, discharged and acquitted them.

The post N1.6bn Alleged Fraud: EFCC Vows To Appeal Ruling On Dudafa’s Case first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post N1.6bn Alleged Fraud: EFCC Vows To Appeal Ruling On Dudafa’s Case appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

In a 190-page judgment, Justice Mohammed Idris held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to prove any of the 22-charge beyond reasonable doubt against Owei-Dudafa and a Heritage Bank staff, Joseph Iwejuo.

Justice Idris added  that the   EFCC’s case was “based on suspicions” and suspicions “cannot take the place of legal evidence.”

He  also held that the EFCC failed to call vital witnesses, like Jonathan, the former NSA Sambo Dasuki, and even the CBN governor, and such failure was fatal to the case of the EFCC.

Similarly, the judge held that a particular vital witness, Sompre Omeibi, who could have linked the defendants to the offences, was not summoned to testify.

He maintained that the Prosecution failed to carry out a proper investigation as the EFCC did not conclude its investigation before rushing to court, thereby living loopholes.

Justice Idris, therefore, dismissed the entire 22 counts charge against Dudafa and Iwuejo.

In a swift reaction, the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo has indicated that the Commission will study the judgment as there legal grounds to challenge same.

The EFCC had accused the defendants of concealing the N1.6billion through a company, Seagate Property Development and Investment Limited, an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a).

They have also accused them of knowingly concealing proceeds of crime through Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited amounting to N399,470,000.00, among others.

EFCC said Dudafa, between June 1 and June 4, 2015, “procured” Iwejuo and Ebiwise Resources to conceal N150 million, being proceeds of crime.

Other companies allegedly used in laundering the money include Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited, Rotato Inter Link Services Limited and De Jakes Fast Food and Restaurant Nigerian Limited.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The post Ex- President Jonathan’s Aide, Dudafa Discharged Of N1.6bn Alleged Fraud first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post Ex- President Jonathan’s Aide, Dudafa Discharged Of N1.6bn Alleged Fraud appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Justice Nkeonye Maha on Wednesday adjourned the case after hearing the two counsels.

The adjournment is predicated on an application for extension of time filed by Mr Ayo Apata (SAN), the Counsel to the Department of State Services.

The court had, upon an ex-parte motion by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF),  declared the group a terrorist organisation

Department of Security Service (DSS) is asking the court for more time to enable them regularise a motion filed in respect of the suit.

Counsel to the IMN, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), did not oppose the request either.

Members of IMN had earlier approached the court challenging the Federal Government’s decision proscribing the movement on the ground that it is a terrorist organisation.

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Justice Nicholas Oweibo made the order after granting a motion exparte application brought before him by the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo.

The EFCC,  in the application noted that the expensive jewelry comprising wristwatches, necklaces, bracelets, bangles, earrings and more were reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities of the former Minister.

The Commission also added that Mrs Allison-Madueke’s known and provable lawful income is far less than the value of the jewellery sought to be forfeited.

In granting the application, Justice Oweibo agreed with the EFCC that the court has the statutory powers under the provision of Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006 to order the forfeiture.

Meanwhile, the judge also ordered the anti-graft commission to publish in any national newspaper the interim order of forfeiture to serve as notice to the former Minister or anyone interested in the assets to be forfeited to appear before the court to show cause within 14days why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

The court then adjourned further proceedings till August 13.

The post JUST IN : Court orders interim seizure of $40m worth of jewellery belonging to Diezani first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post JUST IN : Court orders interim seizure of $40m worth of jewellery belonging to Diezani appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.

Justice Mojisola Olaterogun,  held that she failed to show reasonable cause why the funds should not be permanently forfeited.

The court also found that the funds as claimed by the EFCC was reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime pursuant to Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

Details later…

The post JUST IN: Court orders permanent forfeiture of $8.4m, N9.2bn linked to Patience Jonathan first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

The post JUST IN: Court orders permanent forfeiture of $8.4m, N9.2bn linked to Patience Jonathan appeared first on MegaIcon Magazine.