Encomium
Nigerians continues to await the outcome of some of the high profile cases being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that borders on corruption and money laundering. Since President Mohammed Buhari started his anti-corruption campaign after assuming office in May 2015, no single high profile conviction on corruption has been done.
The only conviction was that of former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) Director-General Temisan Raymond Omatseye who was sentenced to five years imprisonment over N1.5 billion contract scam on May 27, 2016.
With so many high profile cases in court, one would have expected some of these accused to be facing the wrath of the law by now.
Below is a list of some of the cases in the second part of our series :
Iyiola Omisore
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared Senator Iyiola Omisore, who is a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, wanted on May 24, 2016. He was alleged to have received N1.3billion from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
His Account was frozen by the anti-graft body before he was arrested on July 3, 2016, in Abuja.
He, however, denied the allegations and threatened to sue the anti-graft agency.
EFCC is yet to charge him to court as they claim to be weighing the evidences against him.
Femi Fani Kayode
Former aviation minister and director of media and publicity during the campaign of former president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Femi Fani-Kayode was alleged to have laundered over N4.9 billion between January and March 2015.
He alongside Nenadi Usman, former finance minister; Danjuma Yusuf; and a company, Joint Trust Dimension Nig. Ltd. are facing a 17 count charge that borders on unlawful retention, use, and payment of money to the tune of about N4.9 billion.
In Reacting to the allegation Mr Fani Kayode said, “As far as I’m concerned, it was campaign funds, and the money was used for the purpose for which it was meant. And we accounted for it to the man who gave us a job to do, President Jonathan.”
He was arrested in May 2016 by operatives of EFCC and has been on trial ever since. His trial was stalled on June 21, 2016 due to the absence of the presiding Judge, Justice Muslim Hassan, who was said to be on an official function.
He alongside his co-defendants were each granted a N250 million bail by a Federal High Court in Lagos and July 4, 2016. Justice Muslim Hassan then adjourned the case till October 19, 20, and 21, for trial.
Jide Omokore
Jide Omokore, owner of Atlantic Energy Limited, was alleged to have received public assets worth billions of dollars without due process, in 2011 by the EFCC.
Mr. Omokore was arrested on June 20 by operatives of the anti-graft agency and has been arraigned on nine count charge of money laundering to the tune of $1.6 billion.
Arraignment was stalled in June 21 due to absence of some of the suspects, according to the prosecuting counsel of EFCC Rotimi Jacobs.
At the re-scheduled arraignment on Monday July 4th before Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Omokore alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Memnere, David Mbanefo, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Limited pleaded not guilty.
Kola Aluko, an associate of Omokore and Dieziani Allison Madueke, were cleared by the court in connection with the trial, after which the defendants were granted bail in the sum of N50m each with a surety each after hearing the accused persons’ bail applications.
The trial has been adjourned to 19 and 20 October, 2016.
Kola Aluko
Business magnate Kola Aluko has been in the radar of EFCC due to his alleged involvement with the former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Dieziani Allison Madueke, and his associate Mr Omokere, in the transfer of the Nigeria oil asset to their company.
Although his name was struck out of the case $1.6 billion money laundry case involving Mr Omokere on July 4, 2016, he is still remains under the watch of the EFCC.
Aluko and omokore were alleged to have taken more than $1.7bn from the Federal Government
Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh
Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Alex Badeh, is being tried by EFCC over his alleged involvement in the N29 billion on the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) procurement scam.
Badeh is facing trial alongside Iyalikam Nigeria Limited at the Federal High Court, Abuja for allegedly spending N1.4billion Nigerian Air Force money to purchase properties in Abuja between January and December, 2013.
His trial, has been adjourned to Monday, October 10, 2016
Air Marshal Adesola Amosu
Former Chief of Air staff Adesola Nunayon Amosu, who was arrested on January 27, 2016, by operatives of EFCC for converting N21 billion from the Nigerian Air Force around March 5, 2014. Mr. Amosu was granted bail after being reported to have returned N2.3b.
Amosu is being tried alongside AVM Jacob Adigun, Air Cmdr Gbadebo Owodunni and eight companie : Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, Mcallan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd and Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, in a Federal High Court Lagos, over the conversion of N22.8 billion.
The trial is expected to resume on July 8.
July 8 has been declared a public holiday due to the Ramadan Festival.
Other military officers on trial as released by the EFCC
Major General Emmanuel Atewe, a former commander of the Niger Delta Joint Task Force who is standing trial for allegedly swindling Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the tune of N19.7 billion.
Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Muhammed Dikko is being tried in a Federal High Court, Abuja on a seven-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal breach of trust and corruption the tune of N4,846,630,00000 (Four Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Thirty Thousand Naira).
Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose
The embattled Governor of Ekiti has been under the radar of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegation of laundering N1.21 billion from the office of NSA for persecuting his election in 2014. With the immunity clause restraining EFCC from charging him to court, the anti-graft agency froze Fayose’s Zenith bank account three weeks ago.
Fayose claimed his election in 2014 was funded by Zenith Bank, and has instituted a suit, asking the Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti, for an order to reverse the ban placed on his account by the EFCC.
The suit was adjourned by Justice Taiwo to September 30, 2016
Nigerians hope that justice will be served duly and appropriately and the list of individuals alleged to have stolen public funds will be released soon.
