Group seeks investigation of those calling for Uche Ogah’s prosecution

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February 27, 2020

Centre for Good Leadership Initiative (CGLI) has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mr. Mohammed Adamu to investigate a faceless group of lawyers calling for the prosecution of the Minister of State Mines and Steel Development Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah.

The Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), had on Tuesday asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to reopen the case file against Ogah in the interest of justice.

COPA in the petition to the EFCC said “We have course to write to you pertaining to a case that has lingered unattended with your agency especially as it relates to a matter of gross betrayal of trust and deliberate fraud. One Mrs. Bridget Adeosun, Managing Director of Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited wrote and submitted a petition to your agency wherein she alleged with attached proof that Mr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, who currently serves as a Nigerian Minister, forged her signature on a document to validate a non-existent Memorandum of Understanding between his company Masters Energy Oil & Gas and Mut-Hass Petroleum Limited sometime in 2011.

Executive Director of CGLI Chief Okoi Ken said it is criminal for COPA to begin to resurrect a case that had already been handled and discarded by the court and the Inspector General of Police in 2012 nothing that those behind the fresh petition are political hatchet jobbers and blackmailers who are “seeking personal gains”.

The CGLI director said for the records, the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) pressured by Ogah’s political opponents initiated “a criminal charge in a Magistrate Court in Lagos against Masters Energy and the minister when he was the president of Masters Energy Oil and Gas Ltd,” stressing that “when the Police saw the futility of the charge and knowing their inability to secure any conviction with the alleged frivolous charge, they withdrew the charge immediately and up till now there is no other criminal case in court against Dr. Ogah or Masters Energy concerning this false allegation and for anybody to begin to resurrect a case that has been concluded by the IGP is not only inciting but done in bad fate. Such persons must be investigated to determine their real motives”.

Continuing, the CGLI director said “Those behind this new petition should be thoroughly investigated and the motives behind their petition should be unearthed. We know that they are all afraid of the growing political influence of Dr. Ogah and they want to give him a bad name to tarnish his growing political profile in Nigeria and especially his state, Abia”.

He added that “blackmailers should not be allowed to do their dirty jobs and go scot free. They must be made to account for their bad actions”.

He insisted that the COPA petition is “driven by an unprecedented greed and avarice” adding that besides the IGP, other Security Agencies in Nigeria including the EFCC investigated the said allegation and found no substance in it.

“Why COPA renewed interests in this case if not for political vendetta and personal gains? Why are they trying to wake up dead issue if not for personal gains?” We challenge them to come out open in this case

EFCC Kicks Against Iwu’s Move to Transfer Trial in N1.2b Fraud Case to Abuja

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ABN TV EDITOR

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February 27, 2020

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, February 27, 2020 kicked against move by Prof Maurice Iwu, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to transfer a fraud case involving him to Abuja.

The EFCC is prosecuting Iwu on a four-count charge, bordering on money laundering to the tune of N1,203,000,000.00 (One Billion, Two Hundred and Three Million Naira), before Justice Oweibo of the Federal High Court, Lagos. He is alleged to have concealed the sum between December 2014 and March 27, 2015 in an account, belonging to Bioresources Institute of

Nigeria Limited, domiciled in the United Bank for Africa, UBA with account number: 1018603119.

In a statement signed by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the Commission, Tony Orilade and made available to ABN TV, Iwu was arraigned on Thursday, August 9, 2019 by the EFCC and one of the charges against him reads: “That you, Prof Maurice Mmaduakolam Iwu, between December 2014 and March 27, 2015, in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, aided the concealment of the total sum of N1, 203,00,000.00( One Billion, Two Hundred and Three

Million Naira) in Bioresources Institute of Nigeria, BION, Limited’s Account No. 1018603119 domiciled in the United Bank for Africa Plc, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of unlawful act to wit: fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 18(a), 15(2) (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15 ( 3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

At the resumed hearing today, Iwu’s lawyer, Ahmed Raji SAN, told the court that his client, whom he said is 70-years-old, was too old to be coming from Abuja to Lagos to stand trial at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos and urged that the trial be moved Abuja, where the defendant lives.

The defence counsel further argued that the alleged offence, for which his client is being prosecuted, took place in Abuja.

“My Lord, this defendant is over 70 years of age and he always travels down to Lagos and books a hotel whenever this matter comes up. It will amount to great agony for him to continue with this trial in Lagos,” Raji told the court.

However, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, in his response, urged the court to discountenance the application of the defence, noting that the alleged fraud was investigated in Lagos and that the witnesses to be called live in Lagos and Ibadan.

Oyedepo, while citing Section 98 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, also submitted that only the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, had the power to direct the transfer of the case to Abuja.

Justice Oweibo adjourned the matter until March 6, 2020 for continuation of trial.

39-year-old Catholic Priest Who Died In Sleep Laid To Rest in Aba Amidst Tears (Photos+Video)

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ABN TV EDITOR

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February 27, 2020

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The remains of late Rev. Fr. Cosmas Ahamefula Ekwuribe were on Thursday laid to rest in Aba, Abia State in an atmosphere of weeping and wailing among his colleagues and family members.

39-year-old Catholic Priest Who Died In Sleep Laid To Rest in Aba Amidst Tears (Photos+Video)

He passed on at the age of 39.

His burial followed a requem mass celebrated at the Christ the King Cathedral, Aba by His Lordship, Most Rev. Prof. Augustine Ndubueze Echema, Catholic Bishop of Aba.

See Video and photos below….

https://youtu.be/q1n7m7JrXAQ

39-year-old Catholic Priest Who Died In Sleep Laid To Rest in Aba Amidst Tears (Photos+Video)

Ex-Banker Nwosu Bags 18 Years Imprisonment for Fraud

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ABN TV EDITOR

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February 27, 2020

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A former Relationship Manager with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, GTB in Enugu, Onyekachi Nwosu was on Thursday, February 27, 2020 convicted and sentenced to Eighteen (18) years imprisonment by Justice D.V. Agishi of Federal High Court, Enugu on a six (6) amended count charge bordering on forgery, altering and giving a loan with defective collateral brought against him by the Enugu Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Agishi, in her judgement, ruled that the prosecution team led by Mashal Umukoro Onome Esq. proved their case beyond reasonable doubt and that the convict had failed to extricate himself from the self evidenced proofs before the court.

According to a release signed by the Acting Head, Media and Publicity of the Commission, Tony Orilade and made available to ABN TV, the EFCC, in the course of trial, called eight witnesses and tendered several exhibits to prove their case.

The convict was found guilty on all six count charge and sentenced accordingly. On count one and two, he was sentenced to five; while he is to serve two years each on counts three, four, five and six. The cumulative eighteen years prison terms will, however, run concurrently.

Investigation by EFCC revealed several professional misconduct by Nwosu who took undue advantage of his position as a Senior Bank Supervisor and account officer to forge a document titled LETTER of SET-OFF which he used to illegally grant a loan of N34,900,000 (Thirty Four Million,Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) to a customer and his company from several fixed deposits of other customers without their knowledge nor consent.

He was also discovered to have altered several account documents of his friend whom he illegally granted loan as to enhance his Visa application to United Kingdom.