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EFCC narrates how suspended accountant general diverted TSA and IPPIS funds for personal gain

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Hayatu Ahmed, chief superintendent of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says Ahmed Idris, suspended accountant-general of the federation, diverted public funds by compromising government account systems.

He listed the account systems as the Treasury Single Account (TSA), government integrated financial management information system (GIFMIS), and the integrated payroll and personnel information system (IPPIS).

Idris, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, and Mohammed Kudu Usman are standing trial over alleged N109 billion fraud.

According to a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, EFCC spokesman, at the sitting at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court on Thursday, Ahmed, the chief prosecuting officer, told the court that EFCC investigations showed Idris diverted TSA, GIFMIS and IPPIS funds.

The witness also told the court that the funds allegedly diverted by the suspended accountant-general were linked to properties such as the Gezawa Exchange Limited, Gezawa Integrated Farms, and Kano City Mall.

“We had cause to invite several individuals who had transactions with the Gezawa Commodity and Exchange Limited and found one Baita Ibrahim Kura, of BI Kura Ibrahim, a Bureau de Change operator based in Kano,” Ahmed was quoted as saying.

“We invited him and cautioned him and he voluntarily wrote a statement, claiming he made several payments like N208 million into Gezawa Commodity Market with Jaiz bank.”

Ahmed also told the court that Ibrahim admitted to have paid the sum of N866 million to one Mustapha Mukhtar of Marsc Construction Limited for the construction of Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange limited.

“My Lord, investigation showed that, Ibrahim received United States dollars from the first defendant. We also found out that agitation from the nine oil-producing states, regarding derivation from the excess crude account, was tabled before the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) and the committee came up with a figure of about $2.2 billion as what was due to the nine oil producing states, and these amount was to be deducted over a 60 months period on quarterly basis,” the investigating officer said.

The EFCC witness also told the court that 11.5 percent of the figure, amounting to N44.7 billion, was used to pay some public officials to facilitate payments to oil-producing states.

“After the determination of this committee, my lord, some companies, Akindele and Co, a company owned by the second defendant, Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, was presented under the guise of consultancy,” Ahmed said.

“My lord, until recently, the second defendant, Akindele, was a staff in the office of the AGF, and technical assistant to the first defendant. Investigation revealed that N84.39 billion was paid into Akindele’s bank accounts.”

The EFCC officer said another N21 billion was paid into Akindele’s account in February 2021, adding that other payments were made in 2021, amounting to N94.39 billion.

Ahmed told the court that funds were shared to some groups and individuals, including one Peace Akomas of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), who was said to have collected N18.8 billion.

“The second group is the AGF group and it got a total sum of N18.01 billion,” Ahmed said.

“The third group, the Commissioners of Finance in the nine oil-producing states, received N21.4 billion. The money was withdrawn by Akindele, converted to US dollars and handed over to Akomas on behalf of the group.

“The fourth group is called the Yari group. This group received N17.15 billion. The entirety of the sum was transferred to the account of Fimex Professional Services on the instruction of the representative of this group: Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara state governor.

“The remaining N8.9 billion was retained by the second defendant. Furthermore, N4.29 billion was converted to US dollars by Akindele as appreciation for the consultancy contract, and the balance of N4.6 billion was given to Akindele.”

The EFCC officer added that the properties purchased with the funds by the first and third defendants were traced to various locations in Abuja, Kano, and Niger states.

Crime

Guinea-Bissau former president’s son, Malam Bacai Sanha Jr jailed in US for trafficking drugs to fund coup

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The son of a former president of Guinea-Bissau was sentenced to more than six and a half years in prison for involvement in a transnational heroin trafficking conspiracy, the US Justice Department announced Tuesday.

Malam Bacai Sanha Jr, 52, planned to use the proceeds to finance a coup in the West African country that would lead to his eventual presidency and establishment of a “drugs regime,” according to the statement released by the US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

“Malam Bacai Sanha Jr. wasn’t any ordinary international drug trafficker,” said Douglas Williams, special agent in charge of the FBI Houston Field Office. “He is the son of the former president of Guinea-Bissau and was trafficking drugs for a very specific reason – to fund a coup.”

Sanha was a leader and organizer in the heroin trafficking conspiracy and was involved in its importation from Europe to the United States, according to the statement.

He was arrested along with a co-conspirator after arriving in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in July 2022. They were extradited to the United States shortly afterwards.

In September 2023, Sanha pled guilty “to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance for the purpose of unlawful importation,” according to Tuesday’s statement.

Guinea-Bissau has had a history of military coups interspersed with periods of democratic rule – though elected leaders managed to serve a full term since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1974.

Sanha’s father, Malam Bacai Sanha, was initially installed by a junta as interim leader in 1999 before he lost the election the following year.

He won the presidency in a 2009 election but died while seeking medical treatment in Paris in January 2012 before completing his term.

His son, known as “Bacaizinho” in Guinea-Bissau, has served in several government roles, including as an economic advisor to his father.

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Crime

Court sentences Chinese to death for killing Nigerian girlfriend

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The Kano State High Court has sentenced a Chinese national, Frank Geng-Quangrong, to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Ummukalthuum Buhari.

Recall that Quangrong allegedly killed his erstwhile girlfriend, Buhari, following a misunderstanding.

We had reported that Quangrong was accused of culpable homicide in the death of his girlfriend, Buhari, but denied killing her intentionally and pleaded with Justice Sunusi Ado Ma’aji of the Kano State High Court to temper justice with mercy.

In his testimony on Tuesday, Quangrong claimed that he stabbed his girlfriend in self-defence after she allegedly grabbed his testes in September 2022.

“I didn’t kill Ummulkhulsum intentionally but stabbed her in self-defence after she grabbed my testes,” Ouangrong said.

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Crime

Four arrested as police raid fake drinks factory in Lagos

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Policemen attached to the Isokoko Division of the Lagos State Police Command have raided a house in Agege where fake drinks are being produced.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a video shared on his X handle on Thursday.

According to Hundeyin, during the raid, four persons believed to be the masterminds behind the illegal distillery were arrested, and fake drinks were recovered among others.

His caption read, “Officers of Isokoko Division, acting on credible information, raided a house in Agege where fake alcoholic drinks were being produced.

“The police arrested four people behind the illegal distillery and recovered fake drinks, empty bottles, and labels of different brands. Investigation is ongoing.”

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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