Crime
EFCC Secures Jail Terms For NIS Employee In Gombe, Another In Bauchi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured different jail terms for an employee of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Gombe and another person in Bauchi.
The anti-graft agency took to its verified X handle to announce the victory in the battle against financial crimes on Friday.
According to the tweet, those jailed were, Dabiet Onyemi Gilbert and Saleh Haruna who the court found guilty “of obtaining by false pretence”, and “forgery”, respectively.
It stated that “Gilbert’s journey to prison began when his victim petitioned the EFCC after realizing that he had been defrauded over a non-existing Nigerian Correctional Services’ (NCS) job while all efforts to get his money back proved abortive.
“Haruna, on the other hand, bagged his imprisonment when a petitioner alleged that he conspired with one Mohammed Mustapha Sallah to defraud him of the sum of N950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) being payment for a landed property, which he neither took possession of nor his money returned to him.”
The EFCC wrote, “Justices H.H Kereng and Muazu Abubakar of the Gombe State High Court, Gombe and Bauchi State High Court, Bauchi have convicted and sentenced Dabiet Onyemi Gilbert and Saleh Haruna to different jail terms for fraud.
“Gilbert, an employee of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) was prosecuted on a one-count charge of obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N800,000.00 (Eighth Hundred Thousand Naira) by the Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, while Haruna faced a two-count charge bordering on forgery.
“Gilbert’s charge reads: “That you Dabiet Onyemi Gilbert on or about 28th May 2021 in Gombe, Gombe State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N800,000.00 (Eighth Hundred Thousand Naira) from Akoh Daniel Acoustic by falsely representing that the said sum was for job placement with the Nigerian Correctional Services which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Law”
“Count two of Saleh charge reads: “That you Mohammed Mustapha Sallah and Saleh Haruna sometimes between 2013 and 2014 at Bauchi, Bauchi State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court criminally “forged” a public government document and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 364 of the Penal Code and punishable under 364 of the Penal Code Law.”
“While Gilbert pleaded “guilty” to his one-count charge, prompting prosecution counsel, A.M Labaran to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly, though the defence counsel, Yusuf Ali pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, Haruna pleaded “guilty” only to count-two of his charges, prompting prosecution counsel M.Ugbe to pray the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
“Justice Kereng afterwards one-year (sic) convicted and sentenced Gilbert to one-year imprisonment with an option of fine of N60,000, while Justice Abubakar convicted and sentenced Haruna to five years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira) and adjourned till July 8, 2024, for hearing on count one of the charges.
“Gilbert’s journey to prison began when his victim petitioned the EFCC after realizing that he had been defrauded over a non-existing Nigerian Correctional Services’ (NCS) job while all efforts to get his money back proved abortive. Haruna, on the other hand, bagged his imprisonment when a petitioner alleged that he conspired with one Mohammed Mustapha Sallah to defraud him of the sum of N950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) being payment for a landed property, which he neither took possession of nor his money returned to him.
“Meanwhile, the Gombe Zonal Command of the EFCC on June 25, 2024, arraigned Haruna’s alleged accomplice, Mohammed Mustapha Sallah before Justice Abubakar. He is facing prosecution on three-count charges, bordering on conspiracy, forgery and intent to defraud.
“One of the counts reads: “That you Mohammed Mustapha Sallah sometimes between 2013 and 2014 at Bauchi, Bauchi State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did with intent to defraud induce one Ismaila Abdullahi to deliver to you the sum of N950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only) as payment for a landed property belonging to you Mohammed Mustapha Sallah which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.”
“He pleaded “not guilty” to all three count charges, following which prosecution counsel, M.Ugbe asked the court for a trial date, adjournment and for the defendant to be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service, (NCS), while the defence counsel, Mohammed Hassan pleaded for a short adjournment to fast-track the defendant’s release on bail.”
“Justice Abubakar remanded Sallah in Bauchi State Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till July 8, 2024 for hearing of his bail application.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured a court order to arrest and detain six individuals suspected of orchestrating a cryptocurrency investment fraud worth over one billion dollars.
On Thursday, Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled in favor of the EFCC’s ex parte application, allowing the agency to apprehend the promoters of Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
The judge emphasized the strength of the application presented by EFCC counsel, Fadila Yusuf.
READ MORE: EFCC Issues Arrest Warrant For Socialite Aisha Achimugu
“I have listened to the submission of the learned counsel for the applicant (EFCC). I have also gone through the affidavit evidence with exhibits thereto along with the written address. I am of the view, and I so hold, that the application is meritorious. Consequently, the application is granted as prayed,” Justice Nwite declared.
The six individuals named in the case are Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim.
All are accused of using their company, ST Technologies International Limited, to promote CBEX and mislead investors with promises of extraordinary returns.
According to the EFCC, intelligence received in April 2025 indicated that the suspects ran an elaborate scheme in which investors were urged to convert their digital assets into USDT, a stablecoin, and deposit them into CBEX’s wallet.
Initially, users were allowed to monitor their investments, but after accumulating deposits exceeding $1 billion, the platform reportedly became inaccessible.
The anti-graft agency’s preliminary investigation revealed that the investment platform, though promoted by a registered company, lacked proper licensing from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Additionally, the accused had allegedly vacated their known addresses in Lagos and Ogun States, making it difficult to track them down.
Fadila Yusuf, representing the EFCC, argued that the defendants’ actions violated several laws and that arrest warrants were crucial to advance the investigation.
She noted that the EFCC received actionable intelligence alleging various criminal activities involving the suspects, and stressed the commission’s responsibility in preventing and investigating financial crimes.
“The defendants are at large, and a warrant of arrest is required to arrest the defendants for proper investigation and prosecution of this case,” Yusuf said.
The commission has requested that the suspects be placed on the red watch list to facilitate their apprehension.
It maintains that granting the application serves the interest of justice and is necessary to proceed with prosecution based on the evidence gathered so far.
A TikTok content creator, Emmanuel Ajibade, appeared before an Akure Magistrates’ Court on Thursday over allegations of cyberbullying a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer.
According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Taiwo Oniyere, the incident took place in the Higher Height Area of Orita Obele in Akure.
Oniyere explained that Ajibade, along with unidentified accomplices still at large, conspired to commit a series of offences including cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and criminal defamation.
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The prosecutor claimed that Ajibade used his TikTok account, checkers69, to circulate false information with the intention of causing public nuisance and targeting an FRSC official, Ibitoye Samuel.
“His action also resulted in intimidation, enmity and hatred, ill will and needless anxiety for Ibitoye Samuel, an official of FRSC in the state,” Oniyere told the court.
He added that the offences violated Section 27(b) and Section 24(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act of 2015.
Based on these allegations, Oniyere urged the court to order Ajibade’s remand in a correctional facility under Section 269(2)(b) of the Nigerian legal code.
Ajibade’s legal representative, Mr. A. F. Awala, responded by requesting a short adjournment to enable the defence team to file a counter-affidavit.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Olateju Odenusi-Fadeyi ordered that the defendant be held at the SWAT Police Station rather than a correctional centre.
She also instructed the police to ensure Ajibade receives necessary medical care while in custody.
The case was adjourned until April 30, 2025, for mention.
A senior lecturer at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Dr Usman Aliyu, has been dismissed from his position following allegations of sexual harassment brought against him by a postgraduate student, Mrs Kamila Rufai Aliyu.
The decision was ratified during the university’s 96th regular council meeting held on April 11, 2025, and made public through the ATBU Herald (Vol. 39 No. 5, April 22), the institution’s official publication.
The dismissal came after the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee found Dr Aliyu guilty of misconduct.
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The disciplinary panel concluded that the lecturer engaged in an inappropriate relationship with Mrs Kamila Aliyu, a married student from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Technology.
According to the university’s dismissal letter, “Following the report of the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee that found you guilty of an indecent relationship involving a student of the university, Mrs Kamila Rufai Aliyu… the council has subsequently approved your dismissal from the services of the university with immediate effect.”
Mrs Aliyu had submitted a petition to the university in 2024, accusing Dr Aliyu of sexually harassing her and alleging that he threatened to jeopardize her academic progress if she refused his advances.
In response to the accusations, Dr Aliyu filed a defamation lawsuit against the student, her department, and the university. Despite the legal action, the university continued its internal investigation, which led to the eventual dismissal.
The university noted that the decision was in accordance with “Chapter 3, Item F, I (o) of the Senior Staff Conditions of Service of the University,” as stated in a release by the Senior Deputy Registrar, Senior Staff Establishment, Alhaji Abdullahi Suleiman.
Furthermore, the lecturer has been instructed to return all university belongings in his custody.
“You are hereby directed to hand over all the property of the university in your possession to the Head of Department and your identification card to the Chief Security Officer of the university,” the letter added.
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