PDP Campaign Fund: EFCC Arraigns Ex-Gov Dakingari, Two Others

PDP Campaign Fund: EFCC Arraigns Ex-Gov Dakingari, Two Others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today December 6th 2018, arraigned the former governor of Kebbi State, Usman Saidu Dakingari alongside two others before Honourable Justice Basse Onu of the Federal High Court sitting in Kebbi. They were arraigned on a 13 count charge of Conspiracy and Money Laundering to the tune N450,000,000 (Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) only.

Dakingari was arraigned along with Sunday Dogonyaro and Garba Rabiu Kamba for allegedly conniving to collect the sum of N450 million (Four Hundred and Fifty Million Naira) being part of the $115,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifteen Million Dollars) warehoused in Fidelity Bank and shared by the a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Deizani Alison-Madueke for the purpose of influencing the 2015 general election.

One of the charges reads that: “Usman Saidu Dakingari on or about the 27th March 2015 at Kebbi within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court made a cash payment of the sum of N49,640,000 (Forty Nine Million, Six Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) only to Alhaji Haruna Haruna without transacting through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act”.

The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to them.

Counsel for the prosecution Jonson Ojogbane requested a date for trial in view of the plea of the defendants.

But counsels representing the dependents moved applications for bail on behalf of their clients and respectively urge the court to admits there client to bail.

Ojogbane opposed the bail applications with counter affidavits urging the court to refuse the application of the 1st and 2nd defendants. Ojogbane, however, did not oppose the bail application of the 3rd defendant who has been constantly reporting to court since the first time the case came up of arraignment.

The first and second defendants on the other hand had initially refused to appear before the court even after the court threatened to issue a bench warrant for their arrest.

After listening to the arguments exchanged between the parties, Justice Onu adjourned the matter to December 10th , 2018 for ruling on bail application.

The defendants were ordered to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the outcome of the ruling on bail application.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
6th December, 2018
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EFCC Arraigns Dangote Staff For Alleged N15m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos office, on Thursday, December 6, 2018, arraigned Adewale Dalmeida, Ibrahim Lawal and Lukman Adam, who are employees of Dangote Cement, Ibese, Ogun State, and one Afeez Olaniba before Justice O. J. Bamgbose of the High Court of Ogun State, Abeokuta on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and stealing to the tune of N15m (Fifteen Million Naira).

The complainant, Dangote Cement, alleged that Dalmeida, a Fleet Analyst; Lawal, Chief Driver; Adam, a Ghanaian driver and Olaniba, who is an agent of a contractor to the company, diverted nine trucks carrying 800 bags of cement each valued at over N15m.

The defendants were said to have diverted the trucks carrying the bags of cement, which were meant for the company’s customers in Togo, using fake identification cards and number plates.

Count one reads: ” That you, Adewale Dalmeida, Ibrahim Lawal, Afeez Olaniba and Lukman Adam, between May and August, 2018 at Ibese, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony, to wit: stealing of the sum of N15, 940, 800.00 00 (Fifteen Million, Nine Hundred and Forty Thousand, Eight Hundred Naira) property of Dangote Cement Place”.

The suspects pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.

In view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Idris Mohammed, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.

The prosecution counsel also told the court that the defendants had not filed any application for bail before the court.

Consequently, counsels to the defendants prayed the court to move oral application for bail on behalf of their clients, arguing that “they have been in the EFCC custody since September.”

The defence counsels further urged the court to remand the defendants in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of their bail applications.

However, the prosecution counsel opposed the prayers of the defence counsels to remand the defendants in the EFCC custody.

Justice Bamgbose remanded the defendants in Ibara Prison custody, Abeokuta, Ogun State and adjourned till December 17, 2018 for hearing of the bail applications and commencement of trial.

Tony Orilade
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
6th December, 2018
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Ex Chair, Sec. of College Cooperative Dock Over N6.3m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday 6th December, 2018, arraigned Musa Inuwa Arab and Mohammed Tukur Bappa before Honourable Justice Abubakar Jauro of State High Court 9, Gombe, Gombe State on Three count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and criminal breach of trust.

The journey of the accused started when in October, 2014 the law firm of H. A. Saleh & Co, on behalf of members of the Federal College of Horticulture Multipurpose Co- operative Society, Dakin Kowa, Gombe State did a petition against Musa Inuwa Arab and Mohammed Turku Bappa on allegations of misappropriation and diversion of monies belonging to members of the association.

The petitioner alleged that the suspects, while in office, secretly obtained a loan facility to the tune of N10, 000, 000 (Ten Million Naira) in the name of the association from First Bank, Gombe branch, using account number 2013468954 at 23% interest rate without the consent and approval of the association’s Congress. The loan, the petitioner alleged was misappropriated and diverted for personal.

One of the count charge reads “That you Musa Inuwa Arab and Mohammed Turku Bappa sometimes between 2009 – 2010 while being the Chairman and Secretary of Federal College of Horticulture Staff Multipurpose Co-operative Society, Dadin Kowa, at Gombe, Gombe State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while entrusted with the properties (monies) of members of staff Multipurpose Co-operative Society, Dadin Kowa, to the tune of N6, 303,514.00 (Six Million Three Hundred and Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Fourteen Naira), dishonestly misappropriates the properties (monies) thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Law, Laws of the Northern Nigeria and punishable under Section 312 of the same law”.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the three count charge.

Prosecution Counsel, Barr. A.Y. Mutaka and Barr. A.M. Labaran asked for a date for trial.

Defence Counsel, Barr. Abdulahi Inuwa moved his application for bail and adopted his written addresses while urging the court to grant the applicants to bail.

The court granted the accused persons bail on the same terms and conditions as EFCC administrative bail.

The matter was adjourned to 7th January, 2019 for hearing.

Tony Orilade

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity