News

Osun seeks joinder as S’Court reserves ruling in EFCC lawsuit

Published

4 months ago

October 23, 2024

Three out of the 19 states challenging the constitutionality of the laws that established the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on Tuesday, informed the Supreme Court of their intention to withdraw from the suit.

Anambra (ninth plaintiff), Adamawa (16th plaintiff) and Ebonyi (18th plaintiff) separately made an application of withdrawal before the court.

The Attorney General of Anambra State, Prof Sylvia Ifemeje, informed the court of her intention to withdraw from the suit, having filed a motion of withdrawal on October 20.

Also, the Attorney General of Ebonyi State, Ikenna Nwidagu, said “My Lord, I filed a notice of withdrawal dated and filed October 21. My Lords, we pray this honourable court strike out the name of the 18th plaintiff.”

The Attorney General of Adamawa State, Afraimu Jingi, said “My Lord, I have filed a notice of withdrawal of suit dated October 14. I am praying this court to allow me withdraw from the suit.”

Unanimously, the seven-man panel of the Supreme Court presiding over the matter granted their requests and struck out their names from the suit, as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, did not oppose.

With their withdrawal, Kogi, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Oyo, Benue, Enugu, Plateau, Cross River, Ondo, Niger, Edo, Bauchi, Taraba, and Imo states remain in the suit.

Meanwhile, Osun State Attorney-General, represented by Oluwole Jimi-Bada, told the court he filed a motion to be consolidated in the suit.

The Kogi State counsel, Abdulwahab Mohammed (SAN), who is the first plaintiff), urged the court to grant all their reliefs.

He stated that that the EFCC was not well founded, stressing that the commission was a product of convention.

“The crux of our suit is the decision of this court. The counsel that represented the appellant in that suit by the rules of this Court Order 4 will be called to address this court. He participated in the bill that birthed the EFCC and ICPC together.

“Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN) told this court that it was the convention of the UN that reduced this into law. Section 12, that provision was never followed.

“This fact was not an issue with the case of AG Ondo Vs AG Federation. So there is a specific provision for bringing a convention in. You cannot just be talking about Items 7 of 8.

“We are also challenging the foundation of those laws that created Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, EFCC, etc. in order not to create a constitutional crisis,” he said.

He argued that the EFCC and others were products of convention and not well founded.

“It (EFCC) was never meant to be a law that would be all over the country. It was made to protect our resources from going out of this country. We pray your lordship to allow this suit and award heavy cost in favour of the plaintiff on record,” he said.

The AGF (defendant), in his response, urged the apex court not to deviate from the previous judgment it delivered on same matter which was previously brought before it, stressing that the court had to strike out the suit in its entirety.

He said, “I adopt and rely on my processes and urge your Lordship to strike out the plaintiff’s originating summon.

“In respect of the case of Joseph Nwobike, it is noted that Nwobike’s case in action or inaction of the former AGF Kanu Agabi (SAN) has no place at all in this case.

“The UN Convention may have expired but we did not do it because the UN convention asked us to. Section 15 sub-section 5 says ‘The state must abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.’ There is no indication that your lordship should deviate from what you already said.

“This suit should be struck out from its stems, branches and roots. I urge your lordship to dismiss the suit.

“The implication your lordship if you grant the relief of the plaintiff is that the public will say the Supreme Court is supporting corruption.”

After the parties made their arguments, Justice Awani Abba Aji announced that the suit would be reserved for judgment at a date to be communicated to the parties.

Nasarawa and Ogun states with separate request were also joined in the general suit.

Nineteen state governments had come together to contest the constitutionality of the laws that established the EFCC in the country, although Nasarawa and Ogun specifically challenged the NFIU cash withdrawal limit guidelines.

The state governments argued that the Supreme Court, in Dr Joseph Nwobike Vs Federal Republic of Nigeria, held that it was a United Nations convention against corruption that was reduced into the EFCC Establishment Act.

They held that in enacting the law in 2004, the provision of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, was not followed.

They argued that in bringing a convention into the Nigerian law, the provision of Section 12 must be complied with.

According to the plaintiffs, the provision of the constitution necessitated the majority of the states’ houses of Assembly agreeing to bringing the convention before passing the EFCC Act and others, which was allegedly never done.

The argument of the states was that the law, as enacted, could not be applied to states that never approved of it, in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian constitution.

News

FG terminates Visa-on-Arrival policy, says Nigeria not a haven for criminals

Published

7 hours ago

February 22, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Federal Government has ended the Visa-on-Arrival policy, saying that Nigeria is not a destination for criminals

The Minister of Interior Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who made the announcement, said the policy was not effective.

He disclosed that government had noticed a pattern where people avoid travelling into the country directly by air, only to land at neighbouring countries and complete their journeys through land borders.

He described the scenario as unacceptable, saying the Federal Government would unveil a multi-faceted solution by March or April to take care of grey areas on entry into and exit out of the country.

Tunji-Ojo said in place of Visa-on-Arrival, landing and exit cards will be introduced and integrated into the solutions for travelers to complete before arriving in Nigeria.

The Visa-on-Arrival policy was introduced in 2020 as a short-stay visa issued at entry points, but the Minister said the policy failed to meet global standards and best practices as it was not done anywhere in the world.

Tunji-Ojo spoke at the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) on Friday during the closing ceremony of the five-day training and capacity building programmes on Advanced Passenger Information-Passenger Name Record, API/PNR System for NIS officers.

The capacity building for 100 Officers was organised by the Nigeria Immigration Service under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of the Service, Mrs Kemi Nanna Nandap.

Tunji-Ojo said:” The Visa-on-Arrival issue is one of the core policy issues because I always tell people the visa is not just an approval of entry, it is a migration management device.

“It is a security device to manage migration into your country. So the way it is at the moment is very subjective. We are not really too objective and that is why we are automating the whole process end-to-end.

“And the e-visa solution, we are working hard to be able to meet the first of March or peradventure if we are unable, the first of April, we will hit it live.

“We will automate the system. People apply online and we will do what we need to do. That solution will be integrated with the Interpol system, the criminal records system, so that we can be able to take decisions.

“We do not want foreign attachés approving and issuing visas. It is not going to be that any more, we want to be able to screen people. This country cannot be a destination for wanted criminals in the world. Nigeria is not a safe haven for any criminal and it will never be.”

The Minister who said about 60 of the border solutions are being completed in Nigeria various borders, land maritime and air, insisted that the security of the country and her citizens remained sacrosanct under the present administration.

He said: ”Today, we have had, we have sorted the API across all of our five international airports and we are looking at working with you more on the issue of adapting some of these into our land borders because it is also very key.

“Because we realised the pattern, of recent, I think, over the last couple of weeks, that a lot of people would rather fly to neighbouring countries and come into Nigeria through the land borders to evade the API PNR system. So we have seen that pattern.”

Tunji-Ojo assured that when all the e-solutions are deployed it would be linked not only with all security agencies at home but also globally, and especially with interpol so that persons of interests can be arrested at anywhere.

Nandap commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister for their commitment to the ongoing reforms in the NIS, saying that the reforms have changed the narratives for the better.

News

Suspended Ogun monarch meet bail conditions after two weeks in jail

Published

7 hours ago

February 22, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Oba Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, the suspended Olorile of Orile-Ifo in Ogun State, has been freed from prison in Ilaro, two weeks after being charged with the alleged public assault of a septuagenarian.

He was brought before a Magistrate’s Court in Ifo by law enforcement, where he was granted bail but subsequently held at the Nigeria Correctional Service in Ilaro, within the Yewa South Local Government Area, until he fulfilled the requirements of his bail.

The spokesperson of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Odukoya Owolola Olayinka, a Superintendent of NCoS, told The Nation that Oba Ogunjobi had gone home about three days ago after meeting his bail terms.

“He (Oba Ogunjobi) has gone home about three days ago,” Olayinka said.

Oba Ogunjobi was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, assault, and conduct likely to lead to a breach of peace.

Force spokesman, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed the arraignment in his social media post, stating that the monarch was charged to court.

“The Kabiyesi Abdulsemiu Ogunjobi, who assaulted one elderly man in a viral video, in Ifo Ogun State, has been charged to court February 4, 2025, on three-count charges of conspiracy, assault and conduct likely to lead to a breach of peace.

“He was granted bail while the case was adjourned to 06/03/2025. The police will continue to uphold the rule of law and the core values of the noble profession,” Adejobi stated.

Oba Ogunjobi who was arraigned before Magistrate F.A Iroko, pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

The Magistrate granted him bail of N5m, with two sureties in like sum, and he must be a resident within the court jurisdiction.

News

Court jails Cooperative Society CEO over N2bn fraud in Calabar

Published

7 hours ago

February 22, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Justice Rosemary Dugbo Oghoghorie of the Federal High Court in Calabar has convicted and sentenced the Chief Executive Officer, Micheno Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, Uno Michael Eke to one year imprisonment for conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretence and money laundering to the tune of N2billion.

He was jailed after pleading guilty to four-count amended charge preferred against him by the Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Count One reads “That you, Uno Michael Eke (being the President/Chief Executive Officer of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society); Registered Trustees of Micheno Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, MMCS, Aya Kanu Aya, (Alias Mbakara) being the Vice President of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (now at large), sometime between June and August 2018 in Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired among yourselves to commit an offence to wit: obtaining property by false pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act’.

Count two reads “That you, Uno Michael Eke (being the President/Chief Executive Officer of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society), Registered Trustees of Micheno Multi Purpose Cooperative Society, MMCS, Aya Kanu Aya (Alias Mbakara) being the Vice President of Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (now at large), on or about the 12th day of July, 2018 in Calabar within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00) from one Kubnse Ogar Ebute by inducing her to invest the money into your Swiss golden packages through your Micheno Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society ltd under the false pretence of paying her 80% as return on investment on her principal sum on the 40th day of his investment, 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”.

When the charge was read to Eke, he pleaded guilty to the criminal offence.

In view of his guilty plea, the prosecuting EFCC’s lawyer, Joshua Abolarin prayed the court to convict the defendant based on the charges before the court. The defence lawyer , Ime Umanah informed the court of a plea bargain agreement before the court and prayed for a lighter jail term for his client.

The judge, after considering the plea of the convict and evidence before the court, convicted and sentenced Eke to one year imprisonment with an option of fine of N2m Also, the convict was ordered to forfeit the following to the Federal Government of Nigeria:

Twelve wflats of 2 bedrooms each located by Goodluck Jonathan bypass, Calabar River State, two (2) plots of land (4.162 hectares and 3.391 hectares) both located at Adiabo Ikot Mboout Community Land, Odupkpani LocAl Government Area, Cross River State, two (2) plots of land located at Akai Effa, Calabar Municipality, Cross River State and eighteen (18) self-contained flats (storey building), located beside University of Calabar, Ita-Agbor, Calabar, Cross River State and N10,000.000( Ten Million Naira) recovered during investigation. The judge ordered that all monies recovered from the convict should be restituted to victims listed in all the charges.

Eke’s road to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested for collecting huge sums of money from different unsuspecting victims with a promise of 80% return on investment within 40 days. Investigations showed that he opened different bank accounts in his name and company’s where he raked in the sum of N2 billion from his victims. The funds were used to acquire landed properties and houses in Calabar, Cross River State.