Crime
Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of $16,500, N127m Diverted From NIMASA
Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of the sums of $16,500 and N127m, which were fraudulently diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The order was entered on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, according to a post on the verified handle of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on micro-blogging site, X on Tuesday.
The funds are forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).
Recall that the Judge had, on May 23, 2024, ordered the interim forfeiture of the funds, following a motion ex parte filed by the anti-graft agency.
The EFCC, through its counsel, Suleiman I. Suleiman, had sought the interim forfeiture of the funds under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 2006; and Section 44 (2)(B) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended).
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The Judge, in granting the interim forfeiture order, had also directed the EFCC to publish the order in a national newspaper for interested parties to show cause why the money should not be finally forfeited to the FGN.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, Suleiman told the court that the funds were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful acts and that the Commission had recovered $16,500 in cash and N118 million from one Uche Obilor and his companies.
Moving the motion for the final forfeiture, Suleiman said, “Pursuant to your lordship’s order made on May 23, 2024, the publication of the order was made on June 6, 2024 of Punch newspaper.
“The said application is supported by a 22-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Oghare Ogbole, an investigator with the EFCC.
“The application is accompanied by two exhibits, the interim order of the court and the Punch publication of June 26, 2024; and it is supported with a written address.
“We respectfully adopt same and pray the court to grant all the reliefs sought.”
In the affidavit, the EFCC submitted that, “The funds sought to be forfeited are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful acts of diversion of funds from the treasury of the NIMASA, through Mr. Uche Obilor, his companies and other cronies.
“That during the course of investigation, the total sum of $16,500 USD cash, was recovered by the Commission, part of the funds diverted from the treasury of the NIMASA. And that for using his companies as mentioned above, Mr. Uche Obilor, upon invitation to the Commission during the course of investigation agreed to return the sum of N118 million, admittedly received and retained by his companies from the funds fraudulently converted from the treasury of the NIMASA.”
Biztelleres reports that at the sitting today, no interested party appeared in court to contest the interim order.
Consequently, Justice Ogundare, after listening to the counsel to the EFCC, held that “order granted as prayed.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa over allegations of diverting N1.3 trillion in 13% derivation funds intended for Delta State during his tenure.
Okowa, who served as governor from 2015 to 2023, was detained after he voluntarily appeared at the EFCC’s Port Harcourt Directorate on Monday in response to an official summons.
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According to an EFCC source, Okowa is accused of failing to account for the N1.3 trillion derived from the federation account, as well as an additional N40 billion he allegedly invested in shares of UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
The investigation suggests that Okowa acquired an 8% stake in a major Nigerian bank to support the offshore LNG venture, with funds purportedly misallocated from state resources.
Beyond the LNG shares, investigators are probing whether Okowa redirected state funds to acquire high-value properties in Abuja and Asaba.
Okowa is currently held at an EFCC facility in Port Harcourt as the inquiry continues.
The high-profile arrest comes as Okowa, who was the vice-presidential running mate to Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, faces scrutiny over his financial conduct in office.
Amid repeated absences from court, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for Hathiramani Ranesh, Managing Director of Dana Air, who faces charges of fraud and conspiracy tied to alleged misappropriations totaling N1.3 billion.
The ruling, handed down Monday by Justice Obiora Egwuatu, calls for Ranesh’s immediate arrest following his failure to respond to multiple court summonses.
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Justice Egwuatu cited Section 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), empowering the court to issue an arrest warrant against defendants who evade appearance.
“The defendant is legally obligated to appear, and the court is authorized to issue a warrant for arrest if he does not,” Justice Egwuatu said, setting January 13, 2025, as the next court date, adding that no objections will be considered unless Ranesh is present.
Ranesh and two Dana Group subsidiaries—Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd—face serious allegations from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Prosecutors claim that between 2014 and 2018, Ranesh and his companies engaged in fraudulent activities, including the unauthorized sale of industrial generators valued at N450 million, which had been pledged as collateral in a debenture agreement.
Additional charges allege the misappropriation of N864 million from bond funds meant for operations at the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina, and a N60.3 million transfer to an external account without authorization.
The charges, filed by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Moshood Adeyemi, cite violations under the Criminal Code Act.
In court, government lawyer Mojisola Okeya-Esho argued for the arrest warrant, stating that Ranesh had disregarded court orders to appear for arraignment.
Defense counsel B. Ademola-Bello challenged the prosecution, contending that jurisdictional issues must be addressed before proceeding with the case.
Justice Egwuatu dismissed these objections, underscoring that Ranesh’s presence in court is required before other arguments can be entertained.
The matter is now adjourned until January 13, 2025, with the warrant remaining active until the defendant is brought to court.
In a shocking act of violence, armed assailants targeted the Police Rapid Response Squad facility in Owerrinta early Monday morning, resulting in the tragic death of a female detainee.
The attack occurred shortly after midnight along the Umuahia-Aba Federal Expressway.
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State Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa confirmed the incident, revealing that the gunmen arrived in three Hilux vehicles and opened fire on the police facility.
“Our personnel successfully repelled the attack,” Isa stated.
However, the attackers resorted to using dynamite, causing significant damage to the building and exposing the detainees inside.
During the chaos, the gunmen attempted to free detainees, leading to the fatal shooting of the female suspect.
Unconfirmed reports suggest she was in custody related to a child trafficking case.
In the aftermath of the attack, police swiftly initiated a manhunt for the perpetrators, employing advanced technical methods to track their movements.
Commissioner Isa announced the arrest of one suspect, who is currently undergoing interrogation to uncover the identities of additional accomplices.
“We are making significant progress in our investigation,” he affirmed.
Authorities are calling on the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities as the investigation continues.
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