N700 Million Diezani Cash: EFCC re-arraigns Yero, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on November 21, 2022 re-arraigned a former governor of Kaduna State, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero before Justice R.M Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna on an eight count amended charges bordering on money laundering. The re-arraignment is sequel to the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice M.G Umar, from the State.

Yero is being prosecuted by the EFCC alongside Nuhu Somo Wya (a former minister), Ishaq Hamsa (a former Secretary to Kaduna State Government) and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna (a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state) for their alleged involvement in the receipt and disbursement of the sum of N700 million paid to them by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.

At today’s sitting, the prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, told the Court that the case was for re-arraignment of the defendants and urged the court to ask them to take their pleas.

The charges were read to the defendants and they all pleaded ‘not guilty’.

One of the amended counts reads: “That you, Muktar Ramalan Yero (while being the Executive Governor of Kaduna state), Nuhu Somo Wya (whilst being a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna ( whilst being the chairman people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State Chapter, sometimes in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did conspire among yourselves to commit a felony to wit: indirectly taking possession of the sum of N700,000,000.00 ( Seven Hundred Million Naira) which you ought to have known forms part of unlawful activity to wit; bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.

Another count reads: “That you Mukhtar Ramalan Yero ( whilst being the Executive Governor of Kaduna state), Nuhu Somo Wya (whilst being a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), Ishaq Hamza (whilst being the secretary to the Kaduna state government), and Abubakar Gaiya Haruna (whilst being the chairman people’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kaduna State Chapter, sometimes in 2015 in Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court (Federal High Court) did indirectly take possession of the aggregate sum of N700,000,000.00 ( Seven Hundred Million Naira),which you reasonably ought to have known forms parts of the proceeds of unlawful activity to wit: bribery and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011( as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act”.

Following their pleas, the defence counsel, Yunus Ustaz Usman urged the court to extend to the defendants, the terms of the bail earlier granted them by the former judge.

The prosecution counsel, Nasiru Salele, appearing with M.E Eimonye and P.C Onyeneho, did not object to the application.

Justice Umar granted bail to the defendants on the same terms earlier offered them by the court.

The case was adjourned till 16th, 17th and 18th January, 2023, for trial.

N700 Million Diezani Cash: EFCC re-arraigns Yero, others

EFCC Arrests Alleged Currency Speculator

As part of its ongoing operation to sanitize the foreign exchange sector and rid it of speculators and all shades of economic saboteurs, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested one Mustapha Muhammed alias Muaspaha Naira.

He was picked up by operatives of the Commission on Saturday November 12, 2022 at Wuse Zone 4, the hub of parallel market operations in the Federal Capital Territory.

The suspect has made useful statement while the investigation continues.

EFCC Arrests Alleged Currency Speculator

EFCC Presents N41.1Bn 2023 Budget Proposal To House Of Reps

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, presented an estimate of N41,120,071,521.75 (Forty One Billion, One Hundred and Twenty Million, Seventy One Thousand, Five Hundred and Twenty One Naira, Seventy Five Kobo) as its budget for the year 2023 to the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes.

A breakdown of the estimate shows the sum of N36,834,903,804.75 (Thirty Six billion, Eight Hundred and Thirty Four million, Nine Hundred and Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Four Naira, Seventy Five Kobo) only as Personnel cost; while the sum of N3,835,460,631.00 (Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Thirty Five Million, Four Hundred and Sixty Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirty One Naira) is for overhead, and N530,707,086.00 (Five Hundred and Thirty Million, Seven Hundred and Seven Thousand, Eighty Six Naira) earmarked as Capital vote.

Presenting the budget before the Committee, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, gave an overview of the performance of the Commission’s 2022 budget, explaining that only 53% of the appropriation had been released as at August 31, 2022, with the budget performance put at 83.35% of the total releases.

The total budget of the commission for 2022 is N43,696,381,562.46 (Forty Three Billion, Six Hundred and Ninety-Six Million, Three Hundred and Eighty-one Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty-two Naira, Forty-six Kobo), which is slightly higher than the projected budget for 2023.

Members of the Hon. Ibrahim Abdullahi Dutse-led Committee expressed concern at the decline at a time when the responsibilities of the Commission are on the increase.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon Dutse commended the achievements which the EFCC has recorded under the leadership of Bawa.

EFCC Presents N41.1Bn 2023 Budget Proposal To House Of Reps