Metro
EFCC re-arraigns don for alleged N1.4bn fraud
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.
The Lagos State Police Command has rescued six children from a building within an estate in the Ejigbo area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to newsmen on Saturday in Lagos.
He said that on Tuesday at about 12p.m., the police received information that six children were staying alone in a building.
‘The case was transferred from the Ejigbo Police Station to the Gender Unit in Ikeja after reports indicated that the children were left alone in a residential house.
“The children, aged between seven and 13 years, have been rescued and are currently in a protective shelter through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development,’ he said.
Hundeyin said initial findings revealed that their mother was currently abroad for medical treatment and had left them in the care of a caregiver.
The spokesperson added that efforts were underway to contact their mother, and investigations were ongoing to gather more details about the case.
NAN
An MTN booster station at the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State was reportedly engulfed in flames on Saturday.
The fire, attributed to an electrical surge, erupted within the Faculty of Nursing.
According to reports, the incident took place in the early morning hours, around 4 a.m., and resulted in significant damage to the Mikano electrical generator, the control board, and other telecommunications devices at the booster station.
The state capital, Special Adviser on Fire Services Reform to Governor Seyi Makinde, and Chairman of the State Fire Services Agency, Moroof Akinwande confirmed the incident.
He said, “The state Fire Service’s prompt response doused the fire at the MTN booster station beside the Faculty of Nursing, University of Ibadan.
“The fire personnel, led by ACFS Olubunmi, were promptly deployed to the scene and arrived on time.
“On arrival, we met the Mikano electrical generator and board on fire. We quickly joined hands with the university’s fire marshals, and the fire was extinguished completely. The fire was caused by an electrical surge”, he explained.
Heavily armed gunmen reportedly stormed Elyon Paradise Ministry Church, shooting Pastor Divine Omodia and abducting six members of the congregation in Asagba Ogwashi, near Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, Aniocha south local government area of Delta State.
The attack, which took place on February 21, 2025, at approximately 10:30pm., saw the assailants round up the church premises before shooting the pastor and severing two of his fingers, causing severe blood loss.
One of the Pastors, Pastor Steve Victor Onuchukwu, who spoke revealed that since the attack, the kidnappers have not contacted the church or the victims’ families to demand ransom.
“The matter has been reported to the police, but so far, no tangible results have been achieved,” Onuchukwu stated.
“One security agency assured me they are working around the clock to secure the victims’ release, but we have no concrete updates yet.”
Concerns continue to mount over Pastor Omodia’s condition, as he remains in critical care at an undisclosed hospital.
According to Onuchukwu, medical personnel are making efforts to stabilize him.
“We rushed him to the hospital immediately, and he is currently in the operating theatre, where doctors are doing everything possible to save his life,” he said.
Meanwhile, when contacted for a statement, Delta State Police Command spokesperson Bright Edafe claimed no official report of the incident had been made to law enforcement.
“I am not aware of any such report because nobody has informed us about it,” Edafe stated.
The attack has heightened concerns over security in the region, with residents and church members demanding swift action to locate the kidnapped victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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