Fraud - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Ismail Abdulaziz
Apr, Mon, 2025

Widow drags village head, 2 others to court for alleged land fraud

254 total views today

By Aisha Gambo

A widow, Wunmi Ishola, on Monday dragged Mai Unguwa Lawal, a village head in Mando, Kaduna State before a Shari’a court for alleged land fraud.

She also filed a suit against an agent,”Oga Yellow”, and the man who claimed to be the owner of the land, Alhaji Surajo Haruna.

” I wanted to buy a property for my children, so I sought for an agent who introduced me to the Mai Unguwa.

“Mai Unguwa showed me a land and told me it belonged to one Surajo Haruna. We met the man and he sold the land to me for N4 Million.

“I transferred the money into Haruna’s account on April 14 and collected the land documents which was later discovered to be fake.

“I later discovered that the land belonged to one Alhaji Bala who confronted me when I tried to erect a building on the land,” she said.

She prayed the court to order the village head to return all her money, adding that he had returned only N500,000 to her.

Ishola added that she gave the first and second defendant the sum of N150,000 as agency fee and paid N150,000 to a lawyer for a deed of assignment.

On their part, the defendants agreed that they transacted the land deal except for Haruna who was not in court.

The village head told the court that he has been trying to locate Haruna, who received the money.

The Judge, Malam Muhammad Kabir, ordered that Haruna’s bank account should be restricted.

He also also ordered that the bank should return the money to the complainant.

The judge admitted the two defendants to bail on the condition that the village head in Mando should stand as surety.(NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

Alleged fraud: Court admits oil magnate, Akintoye, to N500m bail

Lydia Beshel
Jan, Thu, 2025

Judiciary

Alleged fraud: Court admits oil magnate, Akintoye, to N500m bail

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By Taiye Agbaje

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday, admitted Mr Akindele Akintoye, Founder and Chairman of Platform Capital Investment Partners Limited, to a N500 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling held that though he was not unmindful of the serious nature of the offence preferred against the defendant, but he was minded to grant the bail in the interest of justice.

Justice Nwite, who ordered that the two sureties shall depose to affidavit of means, directed that the sureties must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and the documents deposited with the deputy registrar of the court.

He ordered that all his international passports be deposited with the registrar and shall not travel without the permission of the court.

He also ordered that Akintoye and the sureties shall deposit two recent passport photographs each and the residence of the sureties verified by the court registrar.

The judge, who ordered that both the prosecution and defence counsel shall supervise and interview the proposed sureties before Akintoye is released on bail, adjourned the matter until March 4 for trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Nwite had, on Dec. 31, 2024, fixed today for ruling after Esedo and Martha Babatunde, who appeared for the EFCC, argued their case for and against the bail application.

Esedo, while moving the application, had posed a question whether the defendant was entitled to bail.

The lawyer argued that issues of bail is a matter of discretion which is exercised judicially and judiciously by the court.

He said Akintoye is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty, adding that he had met all the requirements for granting bail.

Esedo assured that if granted bail, the defendant would not jump bail and was ready to stand his trial.

Besides, he said that the anti-graft agency had already concluded its investigation, having held him for 55 days.

Babatunde, who vehemently opposed the bail plea, argued that Sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) did not impose on the court to grant bail.

The lawyer, who argued that a bail is not granted as a matter of must, said it is the duty of the applicant to place sufficient evidence before the court.

She argued that the evidence against Akintoye was weighty as it bordered on serious national economic sabotage and financial crime which is currently ravaging the country.

She said if admitted to bail, Akintoye would not attend trial, describing him as a flight risk.

NAN reports that Akintoye, in the four-count charge, was alleged to have diverted a sum of $26,,060, 406.00 US dollars meant to build a refinery in Brass, Bayelsa.

Akintoye, Platform Capital Investment Partners Limited and Duport Midstream Company Limited, where he is also the Managing Director and CEO, were sued as 1st to 3rd defendants respectively, by the anti-graft agency.

The EFCC, in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/641/V/2024 dated and filed on Dec. 19 by its lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, alleged that Akintoye and Platform Capital Investment Partners Limited had between December, 2020 and February, 2021, indirectly retained 16 million dollars.

The amount, the EFCC said, was part of the funds dishonestly converted from the money paid by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Capacity Development Intervention Company Ltd to Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited as investment.

The said a sum of $16, 006, 000 is alleged to constitute proceed of unlawful activity.

The offence, EFCC said, is contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended) by (Act No. 1 of 20!2) and punishable under Section [5(3) of the same Act, among other counts.(NAN)

edited by Sadiya Hamza

No mega financial fraud is possible without lawyers’ support– EFCC chair

Ismail Abdulaziz
Nov, Mon, 2024

General News

No mega financial fraud is possible without lawyers’ support– EFCC chair

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By Taiye Agbaje

The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, says no mega financial fraud, especially illicit financial flows, is possible without lawyers’ support.

Olukoyede stated this during the opening of the 6th Annual Criminal Law Review Conference in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 5-day event is titled: “Optimising the Administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria: How to Navigate Emerging and Systemic Challenges of Insecurity and Economic Hardship.”

According to the EFCC chairman, the transfer of huge funds into offshore accounts, preferable in tax haven are aided by lawyers.

“The most traumatic discovery of the EFCC in recent years was the subjugation of national interest and wellbeing to personal interest by lawyers who aided briefcase foreign investors to fleece the nation in dubious transactions.

“The P&ID scam, the Mambilla Power Project and Sunrise issues are cases in point,” he said.

He said that while the anti-graft agency has had cause to prosecute judicial officers and senior lawyers and earned conviction, his respect for the bench and senior members of the bar remained undiminished.

“However, based on the unique experiences of the EFCC in the prosecution of corruption cases, I am particularly interested in systemic reforms in our justice delivery system that capture.

“The process for the discipline and regulation of judicial officers.The regulation and discipline of legal practitioners. Ethics, values and standards of legal practice.

“These are essential to me because the job of EFCC is ensuring that the corrupt does not find space in our national life. And when they do, to make them pay for their deeds,” he said.

Olukoyede urged the judiciary “to address the issue of obscene legal fees senior lawyers earn from political office holders, particularly the manner in which they collect such fees which clearly conflicts with existing statutes.

“If a lawyer would not care about the source from which a sitting governor or any other public servant pays him millions of Naira to defend him in electoral tribunal, the lawyer must necessarily be mindful of the fact that the only proper way to collect such humongous amounts is through the financial system.

“Aside from violating money laundering regulations, hauling millions of Naira of professional fees from public office holders in liquid cash as senior lawyers do is only aimed at tax evasion.

“It is needless to stress that the best act of mentoring from leaders of the bar to the younger generation of lawyers is by living out the ethical demands of the profession,” he said.

Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, said the nation stands at a critical juncture where insecurity and economic adversity present profound challenges to the rule of law and the administration of justice.

“These challenges demand innovative, practical and collaborative approaches to ensure that our justice system remains robust, fair and effective.

“The Federal Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is committed to reforming and strengthening our criminal justice system,” he said.

Fagbemi, who was represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Abubakar Baba-Doko, said the government was taking decisive steps to address the root causes of crime, improve law enforcement capabilities and enhance the efficiency of the courts.

He said there was the need to strengthen institutions and legal frameworks; leverage on technology and innovation, and foster collaboration and build public trust.

The President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Justice B.B. Kanyip, said the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, is unmistakably a significant legislation in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in the justice delivery system in Nigeria.

Kanyip, who was represented by Justice Olufunke Anuwe, said the ACJA helps in expediting criminal trials, decongestion of the correctional centres and the protection of the rights and interests of marginalised persons.

He, however, said that insecurity and economic hardship poses a serious threat to the implementation of the provision of the Act.

Mr Joseph Daudu, the Coordinator of the Rule of Law Development Foundation and organiser of the event, said the Criminal Law Review Conference commenced six years ago as one of the flagship events of the foundation.

He said it was essentially to provide an annual forum for the review of all developments, particularly novel developments in the field of crime apprehension, crime prosecution, crime adjudication and the important activities of the post adjudicatory processes and institutions of the criminal justice system.

NAN reports that the event, which is being held in Abuja, is also taking place virtually at various locations within Nigeria and abroad simultaneously.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

edited by Sadiya Hamza