September 9, 2024

NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

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Breaking News

1 EFCC returns vehicles, money to Canadian Police

2 FG grants UTM Offshore licence for 2.8m tonnes floating LNG facility

3 Wike signs MoU with Chinese companies on electricity, water supply

4 FG conducts clearance operation on illegal mining site in Kogi

5 ECOWAS MPs propose laws to boost subregional healthcare, education

Defence/Security

EFCC returns vehicles, money to Canadian Police

By Isaac Aregbesola

The EFCC has handed over 53 recovered vehicles and 180, 300 dollars to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on behalf of the victims of financial crimes in Canada.

Ola Olukoyede, Chairman of the anti-graft agency handed over the recovered assets to the  representatives of RCMP in Abuja on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports  that RCMP was represented by Nasser Sadiou, its Regional Officer, and Mr Robert Aboumitiri, First Secretary, Deputy High Commission of Canada, Nigeria.

Okukoyede said  the vehicles were stolen from Canada and tracked to various car stands in Nigeria.

He said that nine of the vehicles were tracked to customs port, where they were awaiting clearance.

According to him, 164, 000 U.S. dollars was recovered for a Canadian, Elena  Bogomas, in a romance scam, while 16, 300 U.S. dollars was also recovered for another Canadian, Sandra Butler.

He said one of the fraudsters used his proceeds to buy an estate and was later arrested, prosecuted and jailed, while the property was sold to recover the funds.

“It’s common knowledge that financial crimes have taken a new turn all across the globe.

“The people who perpetrate these crimes do it in such a way that we discover that their activities are quite borderless and barbaric,” he said.

 According to him, they employ all kinds of means to ensure that they move across various jurisdictions.

“That’s why it has become very necessary and imperative for us to collaborate with our friends across the world. People share the same objective and mandate with us.

“What the EFCC is doing today is doing on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“It is also demonstrating the fact that the President has given us the mandate to extend our hands to ensure that this particular problem is resolved and that is exactly what we are doing here today,” he said.

Olukoyede said the exercise was a demonstration of the EFCC’s commitment to the inter-agency cooperation in the country.

He said it was also a demonstration of the fact that the Nigerian government does not tolerate financial crimes.

“Not only that, we are going to pursue it, because not only that, we will investigate, we will recover, we will prosecute and we will ensure that the victim is restituted.

“We have recovered money, financial assets, and also we have recovered vehicles on behalf of the victims in Canada.

 “As a matter of fact, the  53 vehicles were recovered on behalf of the victims.

“In one instance, we had 164,000 U.S. dollars given to a Canadian victim known as Elena Bogomas.

“Also, we have here, which we will present to you today, another sum of 16,300 U.S. dollars stolen from another victim known as Sandra Butler,” he said.

Sadiou, in his remarks after the signing of documents for the transfer of the recovered assets, thanked the Government of Nigeria and the EFCC in the fight against corruption.

“I am really happy to be here. I feel like being home. I am very happy with the recovery and we appreciate the EFCC on the job they have done.

“EFCC is one of the key partners in the fight against financial crimes in the world and West Africa in particular,” he said.

Aboumitiri lauded the partnership between the Canadian government and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He said the partnership had been yielding positive results (NAN)

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Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Mark Longyen

Defence/Security

$1m fraud: EFCC nabs suspected syndicate impersonating Olukoyede

By Isaac Aregbesola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended a four-man syndicate for allegedly impersonating and blackmailing its Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, in a one million dollars fraud.

The EFCC Spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the suspects were arrested on Wednesday at Gimbiya Street, Garki, and Apo Legislative Quarters, Abuja.

Oyewale stated that the alleged fraudsters impersonated the EFCC Chairman and contacted a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko, for a deal.

According to Oyewale, they claimed that Bello-Koko was implicated in fictitious EFCC investigative activities during his tenure as NPA MD.

“The impersonators allegedly demanded one million dollars from Bello-Koko, threatening arrest and prosecution if he failed to comply.

“Upon receiving intelligence about the impersonators, EFCC operatives were deployed to collaborate with the alleged fraudsters, leading to their successful arrest.

“The suspects are currently in EFCC custody and will be charged to court once investigations are concluded,” he said.(NAN)

Defence/Security

We’ll deploy technology to fight corruption – EFCC

By Isaac Aregbesola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is poised to deploy technology- driven facilities and avenues to fight economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.

 

The EFCC Chairman, Mr Olanipekun Olukoyede, said this at the inauguration of an electronic learning management studio at the EFCC Academy in Abuja.

 

Olukoyede said that the studio would help to boost the intellectual strength of the commission’s workforce and promote distance learning.

 

While stressing the importance of technology in the fight against corruption, Olukoyede pointed out that the studio would add value to the productivity of staff and help develop capacity.

 

“As you are all aware, our mandate is now technology- driven.  In those days, you get to go to the bank; you fill vouchers, fill everything, collect your cash, put it in your boot and drive it home

 

“But today, at the press of a button, you move money across the world

 

“So, if they have advanced in the way they move money, we are also advancing in the way we checkmate them, and that is the essence of this project,” he said.

 

The Commandant, EFCC Academy, Mrs Chinwe Ndubeze, said that the academy had statutory capacity-building mandate for the EFCC workforce and staff of other law enforcement agencies.

 

According to her, it is also the designated training Academy for the Network of National Anti-Corruption Institutions of West Africa (NACIWA).

 

“The EFCC Academy is the designated training Academy for NACIWA. You will be delighted to be part of launching our E-Learning system.

 

“It is a demonstration that, not just the EFCC, but NACIWA is moving forward and not lagging behind with trends relating to the digital era.

 

“It is clear that, indeed, education must go digital. We are in the digital era and it is staring us in the face,” she said.

 

The commandant said that the Academy had been leading in the area of training and education.

 

“We are delighted that we are moving our training from the mundane, the regular to the innovative, and of course, you know that when it comes to E-Learning, it is more inclusive,” she said.

 

Head, External Corporation Unit of the EFCC, Aliyu Wali, said that the potential and possibilities of the studio were enormous.

 

According to him, it will open doors of endless possibilities for growth, learning and innovation for officers of the EFCC, Nigerians, sister agencies and other stakeholders.

 

“Today, as we launch this E-learning studio and platform, we are not just unveiling a facility; we are opening the doors to endless possibilities for growth, learning, and innovation.

 

“This platform will play a crucial role in enhancing the capacity of our officers and staff.

 

“It will provide them with the tools they need to excel in their duties and uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism,” he said.

 

The inauguration of the studio was graced by members of NACIWA, representatives from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), MacArthur Foundation, ECOWAS, USAID, among others. (NAN)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman

Some participants at the opening of the first INTERPOL/JICA workshop on financial crimes in Abuja on Monday.
Defence/Security

Interpol unveils silver notices against money laundering

By Isaac Aregbesola

The International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has unveiled a new module codenamed ‘Silver Notices’ to frontally tackle the scourge of money laundering and illicit financial flows across the world, especially Africa.

The Interpol Vice President for Africa, Garba Umar, said this at a four-day Training Workshop for Nigerian law enforcement agencies at the EFCC Academy, Abuja.

According to Umar, money laundering across Africa and the entire world has assumed a monstrous dimension and Interpol has designed Silver Notices to combat the menace.

“Evidence has shown that every hour, hundreds of thousands of dollars are flowing out of Nigeria to the region and across the world, laundered before it reaches the pockets of criminals to enjoy the profits of their crimes, while the hardworking and honest Nigerians pay the price of crime.

“With every successful laundering of criminal money, our country becomes more prone to crime.

“More drugs, more fraud, more corruption and more violence. Every time criminal money is successfully laundered, our financial institutions take an additional blow,” he said.

He stressed that hard times awaited money launderers as the Silver Notices would make illicit funds more difficult to launder in any part of the world.

Umar also spoke on the theme of the workshop, “Strengthening Capacity and Coordination against Financial Crimes”.

He pointed out that financial crimes have become transnational and law enforcement agencies needed regular training for their workforce to be ahead of fraudsters.

He stressed the need for  collaboration among law enforcement agencies to advance their investigations to ensure that criminals did not get to enjoy the fruits of their labour.

“The only way we can move forward as a country is by working together and identifying common problems, jointly devising solutions, and taking coordinated and cohesive action.

“And now is the time that we need to go far, by going together,” he said.

The Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, in his remarks  also harped on the need for enhanced collaboration in tackling financial crimes.

Olukoyede stressed that the complex nature of corruption across the world could only be broken by the might of collaborative actions by every stakeholder.

“The daunting nature of the fight against corruption in Nigeria and the world at large deserve serious collaboration among organisations saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption,” he said.

Olukoyede was represented by the Director, Fraud Risk Assessment and Control, FRAC, of the EFCC, Mr  Francis Usani.

He appraised the pivotal role of the EFCC in tackling corrupt practices, especially its impressive records of convictions and recoveries.

He expressed optimism that, with the new emphasis on preventive framework in tackling financial crimes by the commission, greater progress would be made.

“Our records of convictions and recoveries stand us out, but we will not rest on our oars, we are committed to do more.

“And in this commitment, the EFCC is re-strategising its operations with a focus on prevention  knowing that it is easier and cheaper to prevent corruption from happening than investigating and prosecuting corruption,”  he said.

In his remark, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Nigeria, Mr Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, described the workshop as an important joint initiative between Japan and Nigeria to combat financial crimes.

He explained that in the contemporary globalised world, financial crimes transcended borders and required international cooperation among law enforcement agencies to combat them.

“I am delighted that INTERPOL and the Japanese National Police Agency are an integral part of this project, contributing their expertise.

“A remarkable collaboration took place three years ago when Japanese and Nigerian law enforcement agencies successfully returned a fund to a Japanese fraud victim, earning immense gratitude.

“Strengthening our partnership through this project will benefit not only Nigerians, but people around the world, including the Japanese,” he said.

Hafsat Bakare, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), spoke about the imperative of strengthening capacity and coordination against financial crimes.

She pointed out that, “financial intelligence and financial analysis techniques are key to tackling economic crimes”.

The NFIU, she said, was sensitive to the interconnected nature of the criminal justice system, the threat of organised crime and cybercrimes being fought by law enforcement agencies.

Isaac Oginni, Director, Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), said the only way to disrupt organised crimes was denying fraudsters the financial profit behind their criminal enterprise.

“Besides, financial intelligence can also be utilised well when investigators recognised its value and used it to build a financial profile around suspects.”

He challenged participants and stakeholders at the workshop to collectively work together and fight money laundering.

The four-day workshop, first of its kind and hosted by the EFCC, was organised by INTERPOL and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

It drew participants from the Police, EFCC, NFIU, Nigeria immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service.

The idea of a Silver Notice was first proposed at the 84th INTERPOL General Assembly in Kigali in 2015.

This notice was intended to allow INTERPOL to “track the offenders, terrorist financers and others who are using virtual currencies like bitcoin to move and store illicit funds, out of the reach of law enforcement and other authorities”.

The General Secretariat was asked to create a template of the new notice, to draft general specifications, and to produce by 2016 a precise cost estimate for the development and implementation of the new tool.

However, the idea was not implemented at the time and has remained dormant until now.(NAN)(nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru

Defence/Security

EFCC, Interpol collaborate on trafficking, illicit financial flows

By Isaac Aregbesola

The EFCC and International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) have expressed determination to collaborate towards tackling Illicit Financial Flows (IFF) fraud, drug and human trafficking in Nigeria and across the globe.

The Anti-fraud organisations, supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),  said this at the opening of the first INTERPOL/JICA workshop on financial crimes in Abuja on Monday.

Isaac Oginni, Director, INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), said that effective collaboration among nations would disrupt financial profit of criminal enterprise and reduce crime rate.

“Horrifying crimes such as drug trafficking, fraud and human trafficking can only be tackled effectively when we disrupt the financial profit behind the whole criminal enterprise.

“The National Central Bureau can only fully close the loop on your investigations, when we collectively follow the money trails across countries, and engage other international partners for assistance to recover them.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” he said.

Oginni said that INTERPOL, together with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, developed the project to strengthen collaboration in the fight against the menace.

The Chairman of EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, said no particular organisation, agency or country could fight the scourge of corruption and financial crimes alone.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Olukoyede was represented by Mr Francis Usani Director, Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department of the EFCC.

Some participants at the opening of the first INTERPOL/JICA workshop on financial crimes in Abuja on Monday.
Some participants at the opening of the first INTERPOL/JICA workshop on financial crimes in Abuja on Monday.

According to him, the daunting nature of the fight against corruption in Nigeria and the world at large, deserves serious collaboration among organisations saddled with the responsibility of fighting corruption

“I have leant over the years that no particular organisation, agency or country can fight the scourge of corruption and financial crimes all alone, in view of the dynamic nature of corruption and other financial crimes.

“The reason I strongly believe that this programme is apt and timely.

”I am therefore delighted that this project is targeted at enhancing the capabilities and sharpening of the skills of Nigerian law enforcement agencies in combating corruption and financial crimes.

“The project is designed to also foster a culture of cooperation through the establishment of a robust multi-agency network of investigators to strengthen collaboration among them,” he said.

President, Africa INTERPOL Executive Committee, retired AIG Garba Umar, said the objective of Nigeria and other nations was to enhance inter-agency cooperation towards combating transnational crimes.

Umar disclosed that INTERPOL was introducing “Silver Notice” to help financial agencies across the globe to trace and repatriate stolen funds stashed anywhere in the world.

Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi described the workshop as an opportunity for new alliances and collaboration to tackle international financial crimes.(NAN)

Edited by Mark Longyen/Deji Abdulwahab

Defence/Security

Public corruption bane of national dev’t – EFCC

By Isaac Aregbesola

Mr Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has described public corruption as the major impediment to sustainable development in Nigeria.

Olukoyede said this in Abuja during a courtesy visit by Mohammed Shehu, Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).

Olukoyede said public corruption ranked as the biggest cause of corruption in the country.

According to him, if public corruption is taken out of the polity, the country will fare better than many countries in the world.

“A situation where somebody would hold a public office or position of trust for years and you call him to account and he says no, he would not account, is not acceptable.’’

He stressed that transparency and accountability should be embedded in both the public and private sectors for optimal development of the country.

The EFCC chairman decried the magnitude of stealing by corrupt elements in the country, especially stealing of unspent allocation in government agencies.

“When I look at some case files and see the humongous amount of money stolen, I wonder how we are still surviving. If you see some case files you will weep.

“The way they move unspent budget allocation to private accounts in commercial banks before midnight at the end of a budget circle, you will wonder what kind of spirit drives us as Nigerians.”

Olukoyede said corruption posed a huge challenge to the country.

He, however, expressed optimism that the prevention mechanisms of his leadership would ensure that the commission stays ahead of the devices of the corrupt to ensure that Nigerians have good governance experiences.

Olukoyede insisted that the preventive framework of tackling corruption offered more prospects of results and impact as EFCC had set up a Department of Fraud Risk and Assessment and Control.

The EFCC boss also described corruption in the country as systemic and entrenched, pointing out that the nation would fare better with improved systems of doing things.

“Let’s look at our system of revenue generation; it is a system that allows leakages in mobilisation and appropriation of funds.

“If we don’t look at the system, we will continue to chase shadows; in this direction, we are not just going to investigate and recover; what we have decided to do in the EFCC is Policy Review.

“If we can block some of these leakages and have a 50 per cent of capital project execution in Nigeria, the country would be fine.’’

While assuring RMAFC of enhanced EFCC collaboration, Olukoyede enjoined the RMAFC to continue to support President Bola Tinubu’s efforts geared toward repositioning the country.

“The President relies on you and me and all the people he has put in a position of trust and responsibility for success,” he said.

Earlief, Shehu lauded the longstanding collaboration between RMAFC and the EFCC.

He said that the visit was motivated by the need to explore more areas of collaboration between the two agencies, especially in the direction of recovery of unremitted or lost revenues of government.

“It is important to bring to the fore that the collaboration between RMAFC and EFCC is crucial in addressing the challenges of unremitted revenue to the Federation Account.

“On this note, we are calling on EFCC for more collaboration; not only in the area of enforcement but also intelligence gathering and data sharing as regards government revenue from any source,” he said.

Shehu also called on the EFCC to assist his commission in the area of capacity building of its staff on revenue monitoring. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Modupe Adeloye/Chijioke Okoronkwo

Economy/Business

RMAFC seeks closer ties with EFCC to recover lost revenue

By Vivian Emoni

The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), has advocated stronger collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to ensure recovery of unremitted revenues to the appropriate government coffers.

The Chairman of the commission, Mr Muhammad Shehu, stated this during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Shehu said such collaboration would help to discover the areas of revenue leakages and ensure effective recovery.

“We are calling on EFCC for more collaboration, not only in the area of enforcement but also intelligence gathering and data sharing with respect to government revenue from any source.

“The collaboration with your organisation in the area of enforcement served as an impetus to the success recorded in our recovery exercise.

“It is therefore important to bring to the fore that the collaboration between RMAFC and EFCC is crucial in addressing the challenges of unremitted revenue to the federation account,’’ he said.

Shehu also sought the assistance of the EFCC in respect of capacity building for the staff of RMAFC, especially in the area of forensic investigation.

He said that his organisation had observed that many Revenue Generating Agencies, described as Government Owned Enterprises (GOE) by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation are allowed to generate revenue.

He added that, “such agencies also spend from it and remit the balance as operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

“This is not known to the constitution as all agencies are constitutionally mandated to remit the revenues generated in gross to the federation account as prescribed in section 162 (1) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

“The constitution states that the federation shall maintain a special account to be called, The Federation Account into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation.

“Except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or Department of Government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.’’

The chairman said that the collaboration between RMAFC and EFCC in 2013, helped the commission to recovered unremitted and under-remitted revenues.

He said that the revenues were collected and deducted from the third party by the banks to the federation account covering a period from 2008 to 2015, where N74 billion was recovered.

He also disclosed that in 2021, the RMAFC engaged another set of consultants in synergy with EFCC and expanded the scope of recovery to include the public sector as well as oil and gas sector for a period covering 2016 to 2019.

“The exercise has so far recovered over N216 billion to the appropriate government coffers and it is still going on”.

He said the RMAFC was established to ensure effective and efficient management of the nation’s revenue.

Responding, Olukoyede stressed the need for effective collaboration between the two organisations to ensure proper management of government revenue.

“Nigeria can only move forward, when there is transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

“Nigeria will be better if the right steps are taken.  There are things we have been able to do together within the scopes of our mandate and your mandate as well.

“Transparency and accountability should be embedded in our public life as a nation. That’s the only way we can move forward.”

According  to him, “one of the things the two agencies are supposed to focus on more now besides recoveries is our systems.

“There is nothing fundamentally wrong with us as Nigerians but with the system that we run here, if you bring in the people that make things work in their own countries to our system here, they will be corrupt.

“There is an entrenched system here that encourages people to steal and it will appear as if nothing will happen. Let’s look at our system of revenue generation, the system that allows leakages in mobilisation and appropriation of funds.

“If we don’t look at the system, we will continue to chase shadows. Let’s get our priorities right. I see no reason why a ministry that has no business with project execution will be awarding contracts.

“We should look at these areas and scale up our surveillance. In all of these let’s support the President in all his efforts to reposition this country.

“The president relies on you and me and all the people he has put in a position of trust and responsibility,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Isaac Aregbesola

 

 

Features

Why FBI Director Gray’s visit to Nigeria matters

Why FBI Director Gray’s visit to Nigeria matters

By Kayode Adebiyi, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Contrary to the narrative of John Grisham’s fictional thriller, The Racketeer, this was a real-life, long-overdue gesture of genuine friendship and partnership, a testament to the shared interest in combating trans-border crimes that pose a significant global threat.

The visit of one of the longest-serving Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) directors, Mr. Christopher Wray, to Nigeria last week signalled a new era in cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.

With the increase in the growth and sophistication of trans-border crimes and criminal networks in such crimes as cybercrimes, online fraud, trafficking in illicit drugs and money laundering and illicit transactions, government agencies across the world are working closer for solutions.

Wray’s historic visit to Nigeria, marked by his courtesy calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Security Adviser Malam Nuhu Ribadu, was a significant milestone. This was not only his first visit to Africa in his seven years as FBI director but also a testament to the growing importance of Nigeria in the global fight against trans-border crimes.

Equally significant was Wray’s inaugural visit to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where he held a crucial meeting with the Chairman, Mr. Ola Olukoyede.

This meeting, the first of its kind, underscored the importance of international cooperation in combating trans-border crimes and the confidence in the EFCC’s renewed anti-corruption efforts under Olukoyede’s leadership.

There are perhaps a dozen anti-corruption agencies in Africa, notable among them the EFCC, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks; the Kenyan Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC); the Ghanian Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO); and the Sierra Leonean Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), among others. Wray, however, visited only two – the EFCC and the EACC.

Wray’s visit also aims to strengthen the partnership between the FBI and the EFCC. In his remark during the visit, Wray said: “We have had a relationship over the years, and this is a reflection of how stronger than ever we are looking forward to taking our partnership to higher and higher levels in tackling threats that affect the people of Nigeria and the people of the United States.”

In response, Olukoyede said in the fight against the “bad guys” and trans-border crimes, the Commission was “willing to continue and develop ideas that would be of mutual benefit to both agencies and ensure that the issue of cybercrime will take utmost priority in our scale of preference and also ensure that sextortion that has become a major challenge to us is taken very seriously.”

Wray’s visit takes on a special meaning in the context of statistics showing that apart from rising cybercrimes, illicit drugs and small arms, illicit financial flows also cost Africa around 88.6 billion dollars yearly.

Security analysts hope a deeper collaboration between the FBI and the EFCC will improve capacity building and intelligence sharing.

This genuine collaborate among the two agencies will mean that the Malcolm Bannisters of this world, the fictional character in Grisham’s book, will have a hard time in the future.(NANFeatures)
**If used, please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Defence/Security

EFCC, FBI strengthen partnership on fight against crimes

 The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede and Director of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Christopher Wray, when he led a team of the Bureau’s top officials on a visit to the EFCC Chairman in Abuja
By Isaac Aregbesola
 The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have strengthened their partnership towards tackling the old and emerging crimes that are of mutual interests to Nigeria and the United States. .
FBI’s Director, Christopher Wray, said this on Friday when he led a team of the Bureau’s top officials on a visit to the EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two agencies have strengthened their partnership on a renewed strategic alliance against crimes.
Wray, in his remarks, expressed delight at the bond that had existed over the years between the EFCC and FBI and called for upscaling in the face of common crime threats that confront Nigeria and the U.S.
“Thank you for your hospitality and in particular, for the partnership that exists between the FBI and the EFCC across a wide range of threats that we face together.
”We have had a relationship over the years and this is a reflection of how stronger than ever we are looking forward to taking our partnership to higher and higher levels in tackling threats that affect the people of Nigeria and the people of the United States.
”We have had close partnerships in shared values and focus and I want to say thank you for the wonderful partnership,” he said.
Responding, Olukoyede appreciated the FBI  for being the EFCC’s personnel and institutional capacity building benefactor over the years and expressed optimism that the collaboration between the two agencies  would be taken a notch higher.
“We value the partnership between the EFCC and FBI. Over the years, this partnership has existed and it is for mutual benefits.
”We have to acknowledge that we have benefitted from your manpower and capacity development programmes, which have added value to the capacity of our operatives and our Academy.
”We also want to thank you for the technical support that you have provided over the years for the EFCC and by extension, Nigeria,” he said.
Olukoyede requested that the collaboration and strategic partnership between two agencies should be strengthened in mutual interest of Nigeria and the US, especially as criminality has become borderless.
“Some of the crimes we fight are borderless crimes, so it is extremely important for law enforcement agencies across the world to come together to collaborate.
”Law enforcement agencies must collaborate more. Our activities must be borderless so that we will be able to challenge the activities of the bad guys,” he said.
 He assured Wray and his team of the Commission’s commitment to collaboration with the American agency.
Olukoyede noted that achieving the shift in paradigm in the operations of the commission called for new dynamism and mechanisms in the tools of the anti-corruption fight.
“The major thrust is to use the instrument of prevention to tackle corruption in the country.
”The EFCC has done well over the years in the areas of investigation and prosecution, but upon my assumption of office, I decided to look at the sources and causes of these problems.
 ”We will not just enforce but also look at prevention, since it is also within our mandate. So, we decided to set up a new department, called Fraud Risk Assessment and Control,” he said.
 He expressed optimism that contract and procurement fraud would soon be a thing of the past.
According to him, the commission is going to ensure e-procurement in the entire nation so that it would be easy to track the execution of projects.
“That is one of the key innovations we have brought into our activities and we are really going to follow it through.”
Other officials on the FBI delegation include: Charles Smith Jnr, Sydney Schaur, Joshua James Moldt, William Michael Miller, Vanessa M. Tibbits, William B. Stevens, Leigha Ramson, Sofie Admire Sosenzweig and Dr. Jim Oscar.(NAN) www nannews.ng
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
Yahaya Bello, a wanted man by EFCC
General News , Judiciary

Alleged fraud: EFCC declares Yahaya Bello wanted

By Isaac Aregbesola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) on Thursday, declared a former governor of Kogi, Alhaji Yahaya Bello wanted in connection with alleged money laundering.

This is contained in a notice posted on the commission’s website.

“The public is hereby notified that Yahaya Adoza Bello (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88.

“Bello, a 48-year-old Ebira man, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State.

“His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.”

The notice further asked any one with useful information about the former governor’s whereabouts to contact any of the commission’s offices across the country.

The anti-graft commission had made unsuccessful attempt to arrest Bello on Wednesday when its operatives laid siege to his residence in Abuja.

A High Court sitting in Lokoja had on Feb. 9, restrained the EFCC from arresting, detaining or prosecuting the former governor.

The EFCC was, however, granted a warrant of arrest by a Federal High Court in Abuja to apprehend him.

The commission was at the court on Thursday for arraignment of the former governor, who was however absent.

The court, however, adjourned until April 23 for ruling in an application by EFCC, seeking a substituted service of the charge on the former governor.

Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after counsel for the EFCC, Kemi Pinheiro, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the ex-governor’s lawyer, Abdulwahab Mohammed, also a SAN, presented their arguments for and against the oral application.

When the matter was called for the arraignment of Bello on a 19-count money laundering charge, the former governor was not in court.

However, his team of lawyers, including Adeola Adedipe, SAN, was in court.

Mohammed, who announced appearance for Bello, challenged the validity of the charge on the grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter on the one hand and to have issued the arrest warrant against his client on the other hand.

He informed the court that a preliminary objection had already been filed before the court to the effect.

The lawyer, who urged the court to vacate the arrest warrant order, said a High Court of Kogi had on Feb. 9 restrained the anti-graft agency from arresting, detaining or prosecuting Bello.

He said the ruling was on a fundamental rights suit filed by the former governor and that the EFCC was a party in the matter.

He added that two of the senior advocates representing the anti-graft agency in the instant charge were also in the matter.

Mohammed said the order was challenged by the EFCC at the Court of Appeal and the matter was already fixed for hearing.

He stressed that the arrest warrant the commission surreptitiously got from the court was an attempt to bring the court on collision course with the Appeal Court.

Bello’s lawyer, who insisted that the issue of jurisdiction was a threshold which the court must address first, argued that the charge ought not to have been filed in view of the appeal.

Mohammed disagreed with Pinheiro’s submission that the court should direct that he should be served with the charge in the open court since he represented Bello.

The senior lawyer said he was not authorised to receive the charge on his client’s behalf.

He argued that if the commission could not serve Bello personally with the charge, they should formally apply so that the defendant could respond accordingly.

Besides, he insisted that their objection to the whole charge and the arrest warrant on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction, had not been dealt it.

He urged the court to refuse EFCC’s application.

However, EFCC’s lawyer disagreed with Mohammed’s submission.

Pinheiro said the matter was fixed for Bello’s arraignment and Mohammed, having announced appearance for the ex-governor, could be served in the open court for the matter to proceed.

Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until April 23 for ruling on substituted service.

The judge had, on Wednesday ordered that EFCC should be issued a warrant for the arrest of Bello in spite of the subsisting judgment by a Kogi High Court restraining the commission from arresting, detaining, or prosecuting him.

The court had also ordered that the ex-governor be produced in court today. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Maharazu Ahmed

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