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EFCC

EFCC Arrests Senator Okorocha, ex- Imo state governor

by Leading Reporters April 14, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha. Mr Okorocha was arrested by operatives of the EFCC at about 4 P.M. Tuesday at his Unity House private office in Abuja.

Our Reporter gathered that the former governor was arrested after a five-hour standoff with EFCC operatives who trailed him to the location.

The anti-graft agency had according to the Source repeatedly invited the former governor to its Abuja headquarters in connection with multiple corruption allegations against him.

Mr Okorocha, who is now senator, reportedly declined to honour the invitation, a development that infuriated detectives who fanned out to get him.

The politician is currently being interrogated at the EFCC headquarters and it is unclear if he would be allowed to go home today.

Details of the allegations against the senator are sketchy but our sources said they are related to suspected monumental graft during his eight-year reign as governor.

April 14, 2021 0 comments

Investigation

Revealed: How AEDC Spent Over N16b In a day On Admin. Expenses; Allegedly Evade Tax and Use Inflated Costs to Shortchange FG (Part 1)

by Leading Reporters March 30, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

Financial records unveiled by the League of Patriot, exclusively obtained by LeadingReporters, has alleged that AEDC uses different accounts, mainly domiciled with the United Bank of Africa, UBA and recently, Fidelity Bank to perpetrate these nefarious acts.

The accounts include AEDC Impress Funding Account with UBA. Account No. 22174094498. This account has become a conduit through which Billions of Naira are fleeced under the subheading – Operational imprest. For instance, between October and December, 2018, a total of N1,579,015,000 was mopped into the account as impress.

It was John Perkins, the author of “Confession of An Economic Hitman” who said that electricity, industrial parks, highways and ports are the things that made huge profits for companies that are sent to wreak havocs on the economies of target-nations.

Perkins’s confession in his widely-read book gives a clue to why Nigerians, the Federal Government and electricity consumers would remain at the mercy of companies like Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC. Mr. Perkins went further to expose how they coopt local greedy economic jackals in government offices, the banking and other strategic sectors in any country of their interest to ensure that their appetite to ruin and hold the people in perpetual poverty are sealed.

AEDC activities, according to investigation carried out by group of concerned Nigerians under the umbrella of League of Patriots revealed that the company is structured to fleece Nigeria, exploit the people, defraud the system, evade tax and by extension divert all the proceeds of their loots to their agents both locally and internationally.

The group has promised to work with the anti-corruption agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crime Commission under its new leadership that has expressed interest to institute a probe in the power sector.

Another Imprest Account as claimed by Leagues of Patriots is Account No. 1017666012, with United Bank of Africa, which is used for these alleged nefarious activities. Investigation carried out by the group revealed further that Account No. 1019034680 with UBA is used to sweep funds which are later diverted to yet another UBA account No 1017547366.

Furthermore, yet another account uncovered by the group is a UBA Account No.1017681365, allotted to AEDC WAMBA, Nasarawa State. A close investigation revealed that the said account is not linked to any TIN no, which makes it hard for Government to collect its tax from AEDC.

AEDC Okene Area Office with Account No 1021027984 with UBA is one of the many accounts of AEDC that were structured to evade tax as all proceeds from Okene axis were technically structured to evade tax.

Kabba AEDC Account No 1017805387 is another porous and specially structured account allegedly used in fleecing the Federal Government. Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria has 40% stake in AEDC through its agency, Bureau of Public Enterprises. The agency, according to League of Patriots has become a willing partner in crime in short-changing the Government and the people of Nigeria.

All efforts to get AEDC to address the issue proved abortive as no replies were given to mails sent to them, for official response despite series of promises from the communication and accounts units of AEDC to do so

March 30, 2021 0 comments

Headlines

Corrupt Nation: We Reject Transparency Int’l Rating

by Leading Reporters March 28, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

The government has described the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index, which downgraded Nigeria in the rating for 2020, as inaccurate and not a true reflection of the strides made in its fight against corruption.

The agency revealed that the country dropped three places, scoring lower in a number of areas since 2019. The government said the report was filled with discrepancies and inaccurate data. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said that TI had failed to make use of available data on the government’s various reforms and other preventive steps. He emphasised that the agency has been using incorrect indices to rate Nigeria in the last decade.

As part of the government’s clampdown on corruption, President Muhammadu Buhari suspended the previous Acting Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chief, Ibrahim Magu, in 2020, after allegations that he had diverted funds recovered by the agency into private pockets, charges Magu’s lawyer has denied.

Buhari appointed Abdulrasheed Bawa as the head of the country’s anti-graft body. Bawa will now take charge of a string of high-profile investigations, including into alleged wrongdoing by P&ID, a gas firm with a U.S.$10 billion arbitration ruling that the government is going to appeal in the UK. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was established in 2003 as a law enforcement agency to investigate financial crimes and other corruption cases.

March 28, 2021 0 comments

Exclusives

Breaking: Group Petitions Anti-Corruption Agencies To Launch A Probe On Gbajiabimila

by Leading Reporters March 22, 2021

written by Leading Reporters

A group, League of Patriots has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and other anti-corruption agencies to launch a probe on the alleged diversion of funds, using “loyal” staff accounts by the Director General of National Lottery Regulatory Commission NLRC, Lanre Gbajiabiamila.

In a petitioned from the group signed by its National and Diaspora Conveners, Abdul Madaki and Williams Diokpa respectively, the group alleges that financial records obtained by them revealed that Lanre Gbajiamile uses trusted staff to rout out funds running into hundreds of millions.

The group further alleges that Lanre’s impunity peaked after his elder brother Femi Gbajiamila became the Speaker of the Federal House of Assembly. Part of the petition read:

“National Lottery Regulatory Commission, led by Mr. Lanre Gbajiabiamila has been perennially enmeshed in untamed corruption. These include diversion of public funds, routing out money to Senate and House Committee members in the National Assembly, and cooked-up expenses, including unapproved travelling allowances, using names of staff he trusts.

While lottery has become a veritable platform for improved revenue for other nations, Nigeria lottery under Gbajiabiamila is currently being run as a one-man-show as records here reveals.

“This fraudulent act peaked between 2019 and 2020 when Lanre boasted before every staff of the commission that he has become untouchable with the emergence of his brother as the Speaker, Federal House of Representatives. It was learned that he appealed to the staff to play along with him, promising to ensure that they would be well compensated if they cover up all they know that have been happening in the commission.

“For instance, the following staffs have received the under listed amount through their personal accounts which violates Federal Government financial laid down principles. (For further details, please see the enclosed Expenses list of the commission)

S/NO	NAME OF STAFF	DEPT	AMOUNT PAID INTO HIS PERSONAL A/C
1.	Oviawe Edwin T.	Fin./Acc.	N58,891,900.00
2.	Tunde Ezomon	Fin./Acc.	N37,355,800.00
3.	Oluwatosin	Acc. Admin	N32,023,400.00
4.	Momoh Jimoh Abdumutalib	DFA Office	N25,705,200.00
5.	Hassana Audu	CPO	N25,734,800.00
6.	Fumilola Akinlami	Sec. To DFA	N21,833,800.00

The group further alleges that records revealed that the DG uses the names of other staff to mop up fund which he gives Senate Committee members, including the Senate Committee Chairman on sports. (See attached expenditure sheet).

“Further investigation revealed that Mr. Kabir Abdullahi received the sum of N64,000,000 in cash on 23^rd and 24^th October, 2019 which they claimed was used to acquire computer consumables, without board’s approval nor public bidding in line with public procurements standards.

The group further asked the anti-corruption agencies to investigate Lanre Gbajiabiamile and bring him to book if found culpable of the allegations of criminal diversion of public funds.

March 22, 2021 0 comments

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