Corruption: EFCC declares war on former govs, others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has stepped up its activities in combating corruption with the arrests of former governors and their family members over allegations of corruption. EZUGWU OBINNA reports

Uneasy calm is currently pervading the camps of former governors as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to recover looted funds, has begun massive arrests and arraignment of ex-governors on corruption charges. Already, the EFCC has arrested three former governors and is expected to go for more.

On Wednesday, the anti-graft agency arraigned former governor of Adamawa State, Rear Admiral Murtala Nyako (retd) and his son Senator Abdull-Aziz Nyako before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja and presided over by Justice Evoh Chukwu on a 37-count charge of money laundering, including an alleged conversion of N240 million state funds to the development of their Hill View Estate in Mpape, Abuja, between October  2011 and June 2012, an offence punishable under Section 15 subsection 1A of the money laundering prohibition Act, 2011.The commission said in a statement that the two individuals were wanted on allegations of stealing, abuse of office and money laundering.

Abdul-Aziz was specifically queried over alleged illicit funds traced to companies he has stakes in. EFCC sought to know how more than N15 billion belonging to Adamawa State was allegedly laundered into the accounts of five companies supposedly owned by him. The said companies include, Tower Assets Management Limited, Blue Ribbon Bureau De Change, Blue Opal Nigeria Limited, Crust Energy Nigeria Limited and Blue Ribbon Multi-links Limited.

Both however, pleaded not guilty to all 37-count charges. The court later ruled that the accused be remanded in EFCC custody with hearing for bail application scheduled for July 10.

It would be recalled that Nyako was impeached last year over allegations of gross misconduct. He travelled out of the country soon afterwards and only returned recently upon Buhari’s assumption of office.

Also in EFCC net is the former governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim who was arrested over the same allegations of money laundering and consequently arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High Court in Abuja on three counts charge of laundering $2.29 million on Wednesday. He equally pleaded not guilty to all the three counts. He was remanded in custody with hearing on bail application scheduled to commence Thursday, July 9.

In a similar development, the anti-graft agency on Monday in Dutse the Jigawa State capital rearrested the immediate past governor of the state, Sule Lamido, and his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, over an alleged N1.3 billion fraud. The commission however, failed to arraign the trio at a Federal High Court in Kano on Wednesday, as initially scheduled.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos and presided over by Justice Mohammed Yunusa had on Tuesday ordered the forfeiture of multi-billion naira assets owned by Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, the former governor of Enugu State to the Federal Government. The forfeited assets comprised of the undeveloped properties and transmission equipment of Rainbownet Nigeria Limited; properties of Hill Gate Investment Limited (Cuena Phones Limited): assets of Cosmo 105.5FM, and 22 duplex buildings at Ebeano Estate, now known as Fidelity Estate.

Others also to be ceded to the Federal Government are Rainbownet shares in Zenith Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank, whose account balance amounts to N4.6 million.

The balances in different accounts also to be forfeited by the former governor include: GTBank (total of N313,700); Sterling Bank (N986,958); Ecobank (N24.5 million); First City Monument Bank (N3.8 million) and Zenith Bank (N761,156).The EFCC further stated that it was expecting balances of Rainbownet’s 10 accounts with Access Bank.

Nnamani was arraigned alongside  his former aide, Sunday Anyaogu, and six  companies Rainbownet, Hillgate Nigeria, Cosmo FM, Capital City Automobile Nig Ltd, Renaissance University Teaching Hospital and Mea Mater Elizabeth High School in what was his fourth arraignment since he left office as governor in 2007, having been arraigned in the same 2007 and in 2011 before an Enugu High Court while he was serving as the senator representing Enugu East senatorial zone, as well as in 2013 before a Federal High Court in Lagos initially presided over by Justice Tijani Abubakar. Following Abubakar’s transfer, the case was assigned to Justice Charles Achibong. But the governor was finally re-arraigned before Yunusa.

He has since been replaced by Senator Gil Nnaji who defeated him first in the 2011 National Assembly Election and later in the recently concluded polls. Meanwhile the alleged offences were said to have been committed between 1999 and 2007 when he was Enugu State governor.

Yunusa had in the course of the legal proceedings separated Nnamani’s trial from his co-accused persons due to the former’s constant excuse of going for treatments overseas.

The EFCC later re-arraigned them before the court on 105 count charge of laundering state funds and economic crimes amounting to N4.5 billion. Part of which were from the Excess Crude Oil Funds meant for some local government areas, including Aninri, Enugu South, Agwu, Igbo Etiti and Isi Uzor. The said money was allegedly transferred to Nnamani’s bank account in the United States where he had lived before returning to become governor in 1999.

The defendants had however pleaded not guilty. Nonetheless, following the split of the trial, four of the companies on May 19 pleaded guilty to a 10-count amended charge through their counsel.

The companies are Rainbownet, Cosmo FM, Capital City Automobile and Renaissance University Teaching Hospital. They were alleged to have failed to comply with lawful inquiry made by the commission. On 11 June, Justice Yunusa adjourned till 7 July after EFCC’s lawyer Kelvin Uzozie told the court that he was still working to get a list of all the companies’ assets.

Earlier on Monday, 6 July Uzozie had prayed the court to convict the companies in view of their plea. He equally prayed the court to make an order of the assets’ forfeiture as well as asked the EFCC to be involved in the management of the companies.

Justice Yunusa eventually held that the properties listed in the schedule be forfeited to the federal government.

Reports had also emerged that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the immediate past governor of Kano State was on the verge of being arrested by the anti-graft agency, a report he later denied. There are still speculations that he may not have been cleared yet.

Also a former head of service of the Federation (HOSF), Steve Oronsaye is currently being interrogated by the EFCC over allegations of corruption. The former HOSF was summoned to the EFCC headquarters in Wuse 11, Abuja on Wednesday where he was interrogated.

Oronsaye was appointed HOSF by former president Olusegun Olusegun in June 2009 and retired on November 16, 2010. However, in September 2014, the office of the auditor general of the federation released a report that indicted him of N123 billion alleged fraud. The 169-page report, titled ‘special audit of the accounts of the civil pensions’ found Oronsaye guilty of allegedly presiding over the looting of the nation’s resources during his tenure.