The Maiduguri Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 arraigned Aisha Alkali Wakil (Mama Boko Haram) alongside Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura, Price Lawal Shoyade and Mallam Adamu Sani before Justice Jude Dagat of the Federal High Court, Maiduguri on a-two count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N42, 000,000.00 (Forty-two Million Naira)

Count two reads: “That you, Aisha Alkali Wakil, Tahiru Alhaji Saidu Daura, Prince Lawal Shoyade whilst being chief executive officer, programme manager and country director respectively of Complete Care and Aid Foundation (non-governmental organisation) and Sani Mallam Adamu of Sani Smart Global Ventures sometime between 23rd October, 2018 and 5th November, 2018 in Maiduguri, Borno State, within the Jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, induced one Bukar Kachallah of Abks Ventures Nig. Ltd to deliver to you N42,000,000.00 (Forty-two Million Naira)only under the false pretence of executing a contract for supply of beans which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

In a statement signed by the Acting Head, Media & Publicity of the Commission, Tony Orilade, made available to ABN TV, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges upon which prosecution counsel, Abubakar Umar Ringim prayed the court for a trial date and to remand of the defendants in the Nigerian Correctional Service, pending trial.

Justice Dagat adjourned the matter to February 27, 2020, for the hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Service.

Two Customs officials have reportedly died in a ghastly auto crash while pursuing suspected rice smugglers along the East-West Road linking Eket and Oron local government areas, Akwa Ibom state.

Customs officials on Sunday evening were reportedly chasing a Sienna bus with registration number APP 784 FM suspected to be laden with bags of smuggled rice.

Eyewitnesses said the Customs Hilux vehicle marked “Strike Force Team Zone C” hit the Sienna bus from behind and somersaulted, leading to the death of the two officials.

A source who did not want his name in print, said that no single grain of rice was found on the Sienna bus when the incident occurred.

“When I inspected the Sienna bus no single grain of rice was in the bus. The bus was returning from a church in Oron,” he said.

He said two other Customs officers and the driver of the Sienna sustained serious injuries and were rushed to hospital.

Police spokesman Nnudam Frederick said he was yet to be briefed.

“I have not been briefed from police officers in Oron concerning the death of two Custom Officers. I am not in the picture and I am not aware of the incident in Oron,” he said.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, on the money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

Trial Justice Okon Abang also found Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Ltd, guilty of illegally receiving N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without contract approval or execution.

“I find the defendants guilty in respect of count 1 of the charge and they are accordingly convicted”, Justice Abang held.

Justice Abang is still reviewing submissions of all the parties with respect to the remaining six counts of the charge.

EFCC had in a seven-count charge it entered before the court, alleged that the N400m was electronically wired from an account that ONSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Metuh, via account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc.

It told the court that the fund which was released to Metuh and his firm by detained former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd,‎ ‎was part of about $2.1billion earmarked for the purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the North East.

Besides, the prosecution alleged that Metuh was involved in an illicit transaction that involved the exchange of $2million, in violation of extant financial regulations.

More details later…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has convicted the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, on the money laundering charge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, preferred against him.

Trial Justice Okon Abang also found Metuh’s firm, Destra Investment Ltd, guilty of illegally receiving N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, prior to the 2015 presidential election, without contract approval or execution.

“I find the defendants guilty in respect of count 1 of the charge and they are accordingly convicted”, Justice Abang held.

Justice Abang is still reviewing submissions of all the parties with respect to the remaining six counts of the charge.

EFCC had in a seven-count charge it entered before the court, alleged that the N400m was electronically wired from an account that ONSA operated with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to Metuh, via account no. 0040437573, which his firm operated with Diamond Bank Plc.

It told the court that the fund which was released to Metuh and his firm by detained former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki, retd,‎ ‎was part of about $2.1billion earmarked for the purchase of arms to fight insurgency in the North East.

Besides, the prosecution alleged that Metuh was involved in an illicit transaction that involved the exchange of $2million, in violation of extant financial regulations.

More details later…