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EFCC re-arraigns don for alleged N1.4bn fraud
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A professor, Uche Chigozie, who allegedly defrauded the Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, was on Thursday re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before a Federal High Court in Lagos, for N1.47bn money laundering.
Chigozie, who was arraigned alongside three companies, Visionary Integrated Consulting Ltd, Nemad Associates Ltd. and Revamp Global Enterprises, is facing 11 counts bordering on conspiracy, fraud, stealing, and money laundering, preferred against him by the EFCC.
He was first arraigned in August 2023, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, and had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Justice Oweibo was, however, transferred out of the Lagos Division, and the case was reassigned to the new trial judge, Justice Dehinde Dipeolu.
The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Mrs Chinenye Okezie, told the court that the defendant allegedly conspired with the other defendants, and used the sum of N1.47bn belonging to the Maize Growers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria.
Okezie said that the defendant allegedly retained the sum of N197m in his UBA account, which formed part of the proceeds of illegal act of gratification.
She also told the court that Chigozie allegedly used N120m to acquire a property in his name, in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja and another N200m, to acquire two properties in Owerri, Imo State.
The anti-graft agency said the defendant used the aggregate sum of N90m to acquire several plots of land in parts of Owerri.
He was further accused of using the sum of N34m to acquire three Toyota Hilux vehicles in his name.
The commission also said that the defendant allegedly received a dollar cash payment equivalent to N87m from one Muwawiyya Haruna, which sum exceeded the amount authorised by law.
Our correspondent gathered that the EFCC said the defendant ought to have known that the money formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity of fraud.
According to the commission, the offences committed contravened Sections 1(a), 15(1), 15(2), 15(3), 16, and 18(a) of the Money Laundering Act, 2012.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Following the defendant’s plea on Thursday, the defence counsel, Mr Etudo Mefo, urged the court to allow the defendant to continue on an earlier bail granted him by the court on August 7, 2023.
But the prosecutor, Okezie, urged the court to only allow the defendant to continue on his existing bail if the defence counsel would undertake to ensure his attendance in court.
She explained to the court that the defendant had been absent on certain occasions, which she claimed had caused some drama.
The prosecutor, therefore, insisted that she would not oppose if the defence counsel made that undertaking.
In his response, the defence counsel told the court that when the defendant was first granted bail, his sureties included his biological father as well as a legal practitioner.
He told the court that he was willing to add to the number, and thus undertook to ensure attendance of the defendant in court.
Following the agreement of the parties, Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case until March 13 for trial.
Gunmen on Monday night invaded Yankamaye community in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State, killing three residents and forcing many villagers to flee their homes.
Residents said the attackers stormed the community late at night, shooting sporadically and causing panic across the area.
A member of the House of Representatives representing Ghari and Tsanyawa Federal Constituency, Sani Bala, confirmed the incident in a statement shared online, disclosing that three bodies had been recovered after the attack.
“As at the time of this update, three people have been confirmed dead,” the lawmaker stated while expressing concern over the deteriorating security situation in the area.
A resident, Saifullahi Sulaiman Sorodaya, said the attack occurred suddenly, leaving residents with no option but to run for safety.
“The attackers entered the town shooting without stopping, and people had no option but to run for their lives,” he said.
Another resident, Madahuru Isah Ibrahim, disclosed that several persons sustained injuries during the assault and were taken to hospital for treatment.
Following the incident, residents of Yankamaye and neighbouring communities appealed to security agencies to increase surveillance and deploy additional personnel to prevent further attacks.
As of press time, authorities had yet to issue an official statement regarding the incident.
The Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, was at the weekend thrown into a state of mourning following the discovery of the lifeless body of a 100-level student of the institution.
The body of the deceased, identified as Favour Olaniyi, was found inside a bush along the North Gate of the institution.
The deceased, a male student of the institution’s Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, was found under circumstances that have fuelled speculation of suicide.
An empty bottle of a substance suspected to be a lethal herbicide was said to have been recovered at the scene following the discovery of his body.
Following the development, students and residents within the area were seen gathered in clusters, struggling to comprehend the tragic incident.
Confirming the incident, the Director, Corporate Communication and Protocol of FUTA, Adegbenro Adebanjo, who expressed the institution’s sadness over the loss of the student, disclosed that the parents of the deceased had been informed of the development.
Adebanjo, who stressed that the university is cooperating with police investigators, stated that officials from the Students Affairs Division are providing counselling support to fellow students who may have been impacted by the tragedy.
“The Students Affairs Division, FUTA, has always reiterated its readiness and willingness to provide support for students who may be battling any issues and will continue to do so.
“Students are encouraged to take advantage of the availability of such counselling and guidance when they are faced with any issues on and off campus.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Command, Abayomi Jimoh, disclosed that an investigation had commenced into the incident, stating that there were no visible marks of violence on the body of the deceased when detectives visited the scene.
He said, “The corpse has been deposited at the mortuary for preservation and further examination, while investigations to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident have commenced.”
The Kano State Police Command has successfully recovered and returned a lost bag to its rightful owner.
This was contained in a statement signed by CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, Police Public Relations Officer, Kano State Command.
According to the statement, the bag was earlier found by a tricycle operator, Abba Abdullahi Abubakar, who picked it up after a passenger mistakenly left it behind in his tricycle.
The incident happened on November 8, 2025, while he was conveying the passenger from Hotoro to the Naibawa Yan Lemo area of Kano.
Abba made efforts to locate the owner, including making announcements on radio stations. When he could not find the owner, he handed the bag over to the police headquarters in Bompai for safekeeping.
Following a public notice by the police, the owner, Abdullahi Saleh, from Bursali Village in Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State,
later came forward to claim it.
Police said the bag, which contained clothing materials and an undisclosed amount of money, was returned to him after he provided proper identification and proof of ownership.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, praised both the finder and the owner for doing the right thing.
He said, “Such conduct strengthens public trust in the police and promotes the values of honesty, integrity, and community partnership.”
He urged the public to continue to support the police in returning lost property to owners, “as this helps to build trust and improve community-police relations.”
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