Why These Nigerian Lawmakers Were Investigated For Fraud

Summary

The video script discusses Nigeria's struggle with corruption, highlighting President Muhammadu Buhari's anti-corruption efforts and the scrutiny of the Nigerian Judiciary. It examines cases against several politicians, including a former president and senators, accused of corruption and misappropriation of funds. Despite some convictions, many cases were dismissed, postponed, or resolved through presidential pardons, raising questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria's fight against corruption.

Takeaways

• 🇳🇬 The Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to fight corruption and has put the judiciary under pressure to ensure no one is above the law.
• 🏛️ Former President Uao Basener accused the Nigerian National Assembly of being more corrupt than any other part of Nigeria's governance system.
• 💵 Basener claimed that Nigerian senators and House of Representatives members receive exorbitant allowances, contributing to corruption.
• 📉 Public perception of the Nigerian National Assembly remains negative, with many viewing its members as corrupt and ineffective.
• 🔍 The video script investigates the records of past and present lawmakers to understand why they are perceived as corrupt.
• 📰 Senator God's will aabu faced corruption allegations during his tenure as governor and while serving as a minister.
• 🚫 Despite allegations, aabu denies any wrongdoing and claims that he is being targeted by mischief-makers.
• 🤝 Senator O. Kalu was sentenced to prison for corruption but was later released by the Supreme Court due to procedural errors in his trial.
• 💼 Senator Joshua Dari was also sentenced to prison for corruption but had his sentence reduced and was eventually pardoned.
• 🛑 Former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah faced corruption charges but repeatedly failed to appear in court, leading to threats of arrest warrants.
• 🏠 Former Senate President Bukola Saraki was accused of misappropriating state funds but claimed he was being targeted for political reasons.

Q & A

What was the main focus of President Mohammadu Buhari's anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria?

President Mohammadu Buhari's anti-corruption efforts were focused on ending corruption in Nigeria, with a particular emphasis on cleaning up the Nigerian Judiciary and ensuring that no one, regardless of their position, was above the law.

What did former President Uao Basener accuse the Nigerian National Assembly of in November 2016?

Former President Uao Basener accused the Nigerian National Assembly of being a 'den of corruption' and likened it to a gang of unarmed robbers, claiming it was worse than any other cabal in Nigeria's national governance system.

What were the allegations against Senator God's will aabu during his tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State?

Senator God's will aabu faced allegations of corruption and misappropriation of public funds during his tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015. He was accused of financial mismanagement and diverting public funds for personal gains, including illegal withdrawals of cash amounting to 22.1 billion Naira.

What was the outcome of the corruption case against Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the former Governor of Abia State?

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu was sentenced to 12 years in prison for a 7.65 billion Naira fraud case. However, the Supreme Court of Nigeria nullified his conviction, stating that his trial was wrongly conducted, and ordered his release pending a retrial, which never happened.

What were the charges against Senator Joshua Dariye, a former Governor of Plateau State?

Senator Joshua Dariye was charged with criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds for a 1.16 billion Naira fraud. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison, which was later reduced to 10 years by the Court of Appeal.

Why was Jolly Nyame, a former Governor of Taraba State, charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission?

Jolly Nyame was charged for allegedly diverting 1.64 billion Naira of public funds, which were meant for the purchase of office equipment and stationeries that were never delivered.

What was the issue with Stella Oduah, the former Minister of Aviation, that led to her legal troubles?

Stella Oduah was arraigned on 5 billion Naira fraud charges involving money laundry. She was accused of receiving fraudulent payments into the account of certain companies, which contravened the Money Laundering Prohibition Act.

What were the allegations against former Senate President Bukola Saraki during his corruption trial?

Bukola Saraki was accused of diverting 12 billion Naira from the treasury of Kwara State government illegally while he was governor. The money was allegedly used to offset a 1.36 billion Naira bank loan he used in purchasing properties.

What was the outcome of the case against Ibrahim Shekarau, the former Governor of Kano State?

The case against Ibrahim Shekarau was dismissed by a court of appeal in 2020, and he was acquitted of money laundry charges.

What happened to the corruption case against Danjuma Goje, a former Governor of Gombe State?

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allegedly pulled out of the case against Danjuma Goje after he withdrew from the Senate presidency race. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation took over the case and later decided not to proceed with it, effectively terminating the case.

Outlines

00:00

🇳🇬 Anti-Corruption Efforts in Nigeria

The paragraph discusses Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari's campaign against corruption, with a focus on the Nigerian Judiciary. It mentions a former president's claim that the National Assembly is a 'den of corruption' and highlights the high allowances and alleged corruption within the Assembly. The paragraph also discusses the public perception of the National Assembly and the ongoing scrutiny of its members. It introduces an investigation into the records of lawmakers to understand the corruption allegations against them.

05:01

🔍 Corruption Allegations Against Nigerian Lawmakers

This paragraph details corruption allegations against Nigerian lawmakers, focusing on Senator God'swill Akpabio. It discusses his political journey and rise to power, as well as allegations of corruption and misappropriation of funds during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State. The paragraph also mentions his summoning by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the public's perception of his integrity.

10:01

📜 Legal Battles of Corrupt Nigerian Politicians

The paragraph discusses the legal battles of corrupt Nigerian politicians, specifically focusing on the case of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu. He was sentenced to prison for fraud but was later released on bail by the Supreme Court due to procedural errors in his trial. The paragraph also touches on the case of Senator Joshua Dariye, who was sentenced to prison for corruption but had his sentence reduced on appeal.

15:02

💼 Corruption in Public Office and Presidential Pardons

This paragraph covers the case of Jolly Nyame, a former governor of Taraba State, who was charged with diverting public funds and was sentenced to prison. However, he was granted a presidential pardon. It also discusses the case of Stella Odua, a former Aviation Minister, who faced fraud charges but failed to appear in court, leading to threats of a warrant for her arrest.

20:03

🏦 Financial Misconduct and Money Laundering Allegations

The paragraph delves into financial misconduct and money laundering allegations against public officials, including the former Senate President Bukola Saraki. It outlines the EFCC's accusations of Saraki diverting state funds for personal use and the legal proceedings that followed. The paragraph also mentions other cases of corruption and the influence of political parties on the outcomes of these cases.

25:06

🤝 Political Influence on Corruption Cases

This paragraph examines the influence of political parties on corruption cases in Nigeria. It discusses how some cases are perceived as witch hunts, while others are seen as victories for anti-corruption efforts. The paragraph highlights the case of Danjuma Goje, a former governor, whose corruption case was withdrawn by the EFCC after he withdrew from the Senate presidency race. It concludes with a reflection on the challenges Nigeria faces in combating corruption.

Keywords

💡Anti-corruption

Anti-corruption refers to the action taken to combat dishonest practices by individuals, especially those in power. In the video, it is central to Nigeria's President Mohammadu Buhari's efforts to end corruption in the country. The script mentions his campaign to clean up the Judiciary and hold everyone accountable, including lawmakers.

💡Judiciary

The Judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies laws. In the context of the video, it is under scrutiny as part of the anti-corruption drive, with the implication that it has been affected by corruption and requires reform to ensure justice is served impartially.

💡National Assembly

The National Assembly is Nigeria's bicameral legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The video discusses allegations of corruption within the National Assembly, suggesting it has become a center of corruption rather than a body of lawmaking.

💡Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The EFCC is Nigeria's agency responsible for investigating economic and financial crimes, including corruption and money laundering. The script mentions the EFCC in relation to various corruption cases involving high-profile politicians and former governors.

💡Corruption

Corruption is the dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery or embezzlement. The video's central theme revolves around corruption within Nigeria's political and legislative bodies, with numerous examples provided from the script.

💡Misappropriation of public funds

Misappropriation of public funds refers to the illegal use of taxpayer money for personal gain by public officials. The video provides several instances where former governors are accused of misappropriating funds meant for public services.

💡Money laundering

Money laundering is the process of making illegally-gained money appear legitimate. The video mentions money laundering in the context of the EFCC's investigations into politicians' financial activities, suggesting that illicit funds are being cleaned through various means.

💡Political influence

Political influence refers to the capacity to affect the decisions or actions of others through one's authority or position. The video implies that political influence may have played a role in the outcomes of corruption cases, suggesting that justice may be compromised by those in power.

💡Petitions

A petition is a formal request to an authority to take a particular action. In the script, petitions are mentioned as a means through which allegations of corruption are brought to the attention of the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies.

💡Presidency

The Presidency refers to the office of the president, the head of state in Nigeria. The video discusses how the president's anti-corruption stance has influenced actions against corruption within the country's political system.

💡Impeachment

Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body levels charges against a government official. The video touches on the possibility of impeachment as a consequence of corruption allegations, indicating the severity of the charges against high-ranking officials.

Highlights

Nigeria's President Mohammadu Buhari is determined to end corruption in the country.

The anti-corruption war is putting the Nigerian Judiciary under pressure.

Former President Uao Basener accuses the Nigerian National Assembly of being a den of corruption.

Basener claims National Assembly members pay themselves excessive allowances.

Former chairman of the House of Reps appropriation committee, Mr. Jibrin Abdulin, accuses the Assembly of padding the 2016 budget.

Senator God's will aabu is implicated in corruption allegations during his tenure as governor.

Aabu faces corruption investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Senator O. Kalu is sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud but later released by the Supreme Court.

Joshua Dari, a former governor, is sentenced to 14 years for misappropriation of public funds but later pardoned.

Jolly Nami, a former governor, is charged with fraud but later granted a presidential pardon.

Former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah is arraigned on 5 billion naira fraud charges.

Bukola Saraki, former Senate President, faces corruption charges for alleged misappropriation of state funds.

Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor, is charged with conspiracy and money laundering.

Danagogo, a former governor, is charged with a 25 billion naira fraud case which is later withdrawn.

The influence of the ruling party is evident in the EFCC's investigations and prosecutions.

Many corruption cases are dismissed or not pursued to completion.

The fight against corruption in Nigeria is complex and fraught with political interference.

Transcripts

we should not sit there and deceive

ourselves the year is

2016 Nigeria's president mohammadu bhari

is held bent on ending corruption in the

country his anti-corruption war is

putting the Nigerian Judiciary on his

heels No One Is Safe from the long arm

of the law there isn't going to be any

party member or any

personality that can escape Justice to

president bhari the Judiciary must be

cleaned up but while the president and

his team have just search light on the

Judiciary a former president believes

same can be done to the lawmakers in a

statement issued during a lecture in

November 2016 former president uao

basener called the Nigerian National

Assembly a den of corruption by a gang

of unarmed robbers according to the

former president the National Assembly

cabal is worse than any cabal that

anybody may find anywh where in

Nigeria's National governance system at

any time he said members of the National

Assembly pay themselves allowances for

staff and offices they do not have or

maintain the former president further

claimed that quote once you are remember

you are corrupted and your mouth is

stuffed with rottenness and Corruption

that you cannot opt out as you go home

with not less than 15 million n a month

for a senator and 10 million n a month

for a member of the House of

Representatives the former president

further added that most of the members

of the Nigerian National Assembly

believe that they are not answerable to

anybody this Outpost was said to be in

response to an accusation by the former

chairman of the House of reps

appropriation committee Mr jibrin

abdulin who had alleged in 2016 that the

E assembly had pded the 2016 budget

after petitioning anti-graft agencies to

investigate the matter the House of

Assembly handed Mr Jin that is The

Whistleblower now a 180-day suspension

for alleged misconduct sounds familiar

well it's been 8 years since then but

nothing seems to have changed much

public perception of the Nigerian

National Assembly Remains the Same so I

decided to look at the National Assembly

to pull out records of our credible

lawmakers both past and present and in

some cases former governors to find out

why the honorable men and women who make

laws for our Beloved Country Nigeria

have been seen as brazenly corrupt and

inept in the discharge of their duties

this is this is like a know your leaders

episode mind you everything I'm sharing

here is already public record I felt I

still needed to mention that we begin

with the current president of the

Nigerian Senate Senator God's will a

it's

okay shortly after the conclusion of the

2023 general elections Mr go aabu having

won his election into the National

Assembly as Senator representing aom

Northwest District was in the running

for who would be the number three person

in Nigeria he had the backing of Mr

President then President elect Mr ABA

Ando to become the Senate President in

the 10th assembly however there were

some unresolved issues that seemed to be

threatening aquabio Ambitions you see a

report surfaced in National dailies on

the 28th of April 2023 detailing how Mr

aabu was allegedly playing a hide and

seek game with the economic and

financial crimes commission it turns out

that the efcc had asked ababio to turn

himself in over corruption

investigations involving him in the

report published by premium times

Senator apio was asked to report to the

ecc's office on May 9th 2023 Haven

failed to turn up for an earlier

invitation dated March 27th

2023 well why was such a distinguished

Senator and an inspiring politician with

impeccable character being summoned by

the country's anti-graft agency you see

godak pabio has gradually worked his way

up the political ladder starting his

journey as a commissioner for special

duties and petroleum resources under the

administration of Governor Victor atar

in aquam state aab found himself as

governor in 2007 a position he served in

until 2015 as is common with Nigerian

State Governors who loved to move from

state government houses to the National

Assembly aabo became a senator in 2015

by 2019 he was serving as a minister for

Niger Delta Affairs in the muhamadu

buhari's cabinet

however while aquabio political Journey

might be inspiring to some it is one

reded with allegations of corruption and

misappropriation of public funds during

his tenure as the governor of aquum

state from 2007 to 2015 there were

allegations of corruption and

misoperation of funds against Senator

aio's Administration according to a

premium time report in June

2015 the economic and financial crimes

commission launched an investigation

into the financial activities of aabus

administration to probe the alleged Deft

of 108.1 billion NRA this was after

receiving petitions accusing the former

Governor of emment Financial

mismanagement and diverting of public

funds for personal gains in the petition

submitted to the efcc by an Abuja based

lawyer and activist Leo eong it was

alleged that between January to December

2014

the trail of goio

Mr umin and Mr Udo isobar made illegal

withdrawals of cash amounting to 22.1

billion n from a designated state

government own account with zenic bank

with this account number displayed right

here Mr eong alleged that the reasons

for the withdrawals were unjustifiable

expenditures by gabu and his numerous

surrogates and progress other

withdrawals included an 18 billion Nara

allegedly taken from the state faac

account with the United Bank for Africa

in trenches of 10 million Nara and above

by Mr isobar according to mrong aecting

Mr omoren was rewarded with an

appointment as Government house chief of

staff and subsequently secretary to the

state government under udam Emmanuel's

Administration for his help with aquabus

Affairs the legal practitioner went on

to state that over 50 billion ion of

Acom funds were spent by the former

Governor during the 2015 general

elections but the allegations of

corruption against the former Governor

didn't stop at the 2015 petitions as the

minister of Niger Delta Affairs under

the mamadu bhar administration apab was

accused of corruption and mismanagement

of funds by several sources including

the senate committee on Niger data

Affairs the Niger data development

Commission nddc and some Civil Society

groups according to a report by the

senate committee on Niger Delta Affairs

which was based on a forensic audit of

the nddc aabo allegedly diverted 19.25

billion NRA meant for the development of

the region to his personal accounts the

report also claimed that Senator ababio

awarded contracts what 81.5 billion n to

his cronies and relatives without due

process in public hearing to determine

the truth to those allegations the

former Minister engaged members of the

National Assembly in what has seem been

turned into a comic Affair by Nigerians

most of the contracts in NDC are given

out to members of National Assembly she

she but in all of this it is important

to note that the former Governor denies

these allegations claiming they are

handiworks of Mischief Makers who are

out to tarnish his good image also no

formal charges or convictions have been

made against the distinguished Senator

bar next up on our list is Senator oi

okalo before I came to the Senate before

I came into politics I can buy anything

body can buy I'm not a thief this

country is not fair to so of us in

December 2019 the economic and financial

crimes commission efcc secured a

landmark convention ction and sentencing

of a former governor of ABIA State the

man named o okalo the former governor

was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment

for a 7.65 billion n fraud the story

started when Mr Kalo who is the senator

representing Aban North in the National

Assembly was arranged alongside his

company SLO Nigerian limited and a

setting UD he's Director of Finance and

Accounts at the ABIA state government

house over an amended 39 count charge

for conspiring and diverting the sum of

7.65 billion from the state cfor the

accused persons were charged over

alleged diversion of public funds and

money laundry while in office in one of

the counts the efcc alleged that the

former ABIA State Governor Mr khu who

was in office between 1999 and 2007

procured SLO Nigeria limited a company

solely owned by the former Governor and

members of his family to retain in his

accounts domiciled with the then Inland

Bank PLC a powera branch in Lagos State

an aggregate sum of 7

b197 mil

87128 naira and 7 COBO on his behalf the

prosecution team claimed that the 7.1

billion n formed part of the funds

illegally derived from the treasury of

the ABIA state government and which was

converted into several Bank drafts

before they were paid into the said

company's account the prosecuting

Council isting roim Jacobs said the exg

governor viated section 17 C of the

money laundry prohibition Act of 2004

apart from the 7.1 billiona which he was

accused of laundering the exg governor

and the other defendants were also

accused of receiving a total of 460

million n allegedly stolen from the ABIA

state government treasury between July

and December 2002 while the delivering

his judgment Justice Idris found the

defendants guilty on all counts the

former Governor was then sentenced to 12

years in prison for 7.65 billion n fraud

Justice Idris held that the prosecution

had established its case against the

defendants the judge further stated that

quote no evil deed will go unpunished

the offenses are antihuman it is

condemned worldwide because it is a

crime against human Humanity end of

quote so how did this distinguished

politician get away from the long arm of

the law I thought Lady Justice had him

and his cronies well it turns out Lady

Justice is not a keeper after all in

December 2019 Mr khu filed a bail

application at AOS High Court shortly

after filing an appeal against his

conviction while the court rejected his

bail application for lack of Merit is

the Supreme Court was not so dismissive

of the former Governor's Quest on Friday

the 8th of May 2020 the Supreme Court of

Nigeria ruled that Mr kalu's trial was

wrongly

conducted his conviction was nullified

and an order for his release was issued

pending a retrial here is a copy of the

Supreme Court ruling on this matter

according to the seven member panel of

the Apex Court in the unanimous verdict

delivered by Justice agmb Echo Justice

Muhammad Idris who convicted Mr Kalo had

already become a Justice of the court of

appeal when he ruled and senten Mr Caro

and his codefendant as a trial judge and

now since a Justice of the court of

appeal cannot operate as a judge of the

federal High Court the chief judge of

the federal high court was ordered to

reassign the case for AET trial kalu was

eventually released from the custody of

the Nigerian Correctional service kuj on

Wednesday 3rd of June 2020 and yes the

retrial Never Happened apparently Mr KH

is not a thief I'm not a thief I can buy

anything body can buy another

interesting case I found was that of

Senator Joshua Dar a former governor of

plat State Mr Dar was sentenced to 14

years in prison on June 12 2018 for

criminal breach of trust and 2 years for

misappropriation of public funds after a

long and hard prosecution by the efcc

for a 1.16 billion n fraud in a judgment

that lasted about 8 hours Justice

banjoko said quote there's a deep sense

of

irresponsibility the defendant was in

fact richer than his State this is a

trauma of the trial and there should be

no compromise to corruption by whatever

shade or color or region rich or poor

corruption will forever be corruption

end of quote Mr was being accused by the

efcc of diverting about 1.16 billion Nar

ecological funds meant for the state to

his personal use including transferring

Monies to a Bena redam Ventures an

unregistered company managed by him and

his cronies and another company named

Pinacle Communications limited improving

his case against Dar the prosecution

team led by roim Jacobs sen called 10

Witnesses including musas

the efcc investigating officer and Peter

Clark a detective Constable with the UK

Metropolitan Police in London who

investigated Dar in the United Kingdom

for money laundry offenses presenting

several documents in court including

Bank documents the prosecution

established that a Bena rednam Ventures

was not a registered company and that

his account opening process with then

all state Trust Bank was rided with

irregularity indicating quote dishonest

intent for opening the account the

defense team urged the court to temper

Justice with Mercy arguing that the bank

in question quote misled the governor

into engaging in such practice of

private banking end of quote in fact in

one busy act to excuse the corrupt acts

of the former Governor his lawyer said

quote he's actually a victim mistakes

were made but my Lord she tampered just

with Mercy the lawyer that represented

him before did not do a particular good

job this man has suffered end of quote

and one of the reasons his defense team

gave the to the court for why the court

should have mercy on him was that the

prisons that is the prisons in Nigeria

now are congested and that he is a

serving senator who served his state so

what the meant was that he shouldn't be

sent to the prisons because the prisons

were congested Hallelujah we now have a

big man prisoner right after being

sentenced to 14 years in 2018 the court

of appeal sitting in Abuja on Friday

16th November 2018 reduced the 14year

sentence against Dar to 10 years however

just when Lady Justice was feeling like

she finally got one win against

corruption the federal government of

Nigeria on the 14th of April 2022

granted presidential pardons to Joshua

Dar and and next character Jolly

Nami Mr Jolly namami is a former

governor of taraba state in May 2007 he

was charged by the economic and

financial crimes commission for

allegedly diverting 1.64 billion n of

public funds in a 41c count charge of

fraud the commission accused Mr Nami of

spearheading the fent transfers of funds

from the taraba state treasury to a

company called sumon Global for the

purchase of office equipment and

stationaries that were never delivered

he was also accused of fraudulently

enriching himself and abusing public

Trust of course the former Governor

denied all the charges one of the

prosecution witnesses Abdul ramman

Muhammad an accountant with the state

testified that he brought 24.3 million n

Cash made for the purchase of grains to

the former Governor a testimony that was

immed denied by the former Governor

however after much pressing during his

cross-examination mram did admit to

signing the memo while also admitting

that no one received the money and no

grains were delivered the allegation of

the diversion of 24.3 million n formed

one of the 41 counts bordering on

stealing and diversion of State funds

brought against Nami by the EMCC well

after finding this man guilty and and

sentencing him to 14 years in prison the

court of appeal reduced the sentence to

12 years with fines ranging from 100

million Nara to 5 million n this was

before the merciful federal government

of Nigeria Under The Incorruptible mamad

buari who vigorously fought against

corruption decided to set him free on

presidential pardon next up is momella

odwa a federal high court in Abuja has

threatened to issue a bench warrant of

arrest on former avation Minister sta

after trying and failing for over 2 and

a half years the economic and financial

crimes commission finally arraigned the

former minister of Aviation Stella Oda

and a Chinese construction Giant on 5

billion n fraud charges that were filed

against them since December 2020

according to report the arrangment was

postponed up to 15 times for various

reasons including difficulties in

serving some of the defendants and at

another time the prying of the Attorney

General of the federation's office into

the case in one attempt to stop the case

from moving forward an anonymous

petition was written against the trial

judge inyang EA fella odwa and Co were

being arranged on a 25 count charge

bordering on money laundry the

accomplices were alleged to be Gloria

odita wo Emmanuel namdi and Irene Chuka

and five companies named global offes

and Maring limited tiptop global

resources limited Crystal television

limited soora International Limited and

China civil engineering Construction

Corporation the efcc accused the

defendants of conspiracy to commit money

laundry transferring taking control and

taking possession of proceeds of fraud

aiding and abating money laundry and

opening Anonymous bank accounts the

former Minister was also accused of

receiving 1.6 billion n in fraud

payments in to the account of global

offshore and Marin limited with this

account number displayed right on the

screen domiciled with First Bank PLC

from ISC security nigeran limited with

this bank account doil with First Bank

PLC an act that contravenes the money

laundry prohibition act well the

defendants pleaded not guilty and were

granted bail by Justice EA Mrs Odo

failed repeatedly to appear for her

trial prompting the judge in July 202 1

7 months after the case was filed to

threaten to issue a warrant for her

arrest in 2022 alone the case was

adjoined on seven occasions this was

am's report that the then Attorney

General of the Federation abaka malami

was also delaying the case Mr mami's

legal advice approving the trial only

came in October 2022 in seven of the

counts where this Chinese company is

inducted along with M OA and Mrs odita

the company was accused of conspiring

with the women to commit money laundry

and directly transferring to private

banking nominees account various sums of

money totaling 2.5 billion n however

Justice e urged the efcc to fish out the

corpit behind the corporate body and

bring them before the court by November

2023 it was reported that the efcc have

been ordered to hand over the case to

the Attorney General's office for

further

prosecution whether or not Lady Justice

is going to be dealt a heavy blue once

again remains to be seen another

interesting case I have for you has to

do with the former Senate President

senat bukola saraki corruption trial for

Nigeria Senate President bukola saraki

the third most powerful person in the

country has begun in Abuja the economic

and financial crimes commission accused

former Senate President B haraki of

diverting 12 billion n from the treasury

of the quara state government illegally

while he was governor of the state

between 2003 and 2011 the commission

claimed that the money was withdrawn in

cash the money the EC said was allegedly

used by Mr saraki to offset a 1.36

billion Nara bank loan he used in

purchasing Homes at 15 15a 17 17A and

four flats at macdonal Road

EOS the said properties were eventually

seized by the ESC the es said Mr saki

through his companies had taken loans

worth 1.36 billion n from the guaranteed

Trust Bank GTB and Intercontinental Bank

now known as assets Bank between 2005

and 2006 in a bat to offset these loans

the ex governor allegedly began to diver

100 million n from the cers of the state

monthly the aid stated that on February

28th 2005 the presidential

implementation committee on the sale of

federal government landed properties

wrote a letter to Mr saraki conveying

the approval of the then minister of

lands and housing for the sale of

properties at number 15 and 17 macdonal

Road ecoi the efcc said secal to the

letter sari wrote to GTB on March 8 2005

requesting for $2 200 million N Loan to

finance the acquisition of the set

properties and on March 24th 2005 GTB

approved the loan to partly Finance the

purchase of this properties the agency

said on October 11 2006 another loan of

380 million n was granted to the ex

Senate President by GTB to partly

Finance the acquisition of properties

located at 17 and 17A macdonal Road ecoi

and on January 3r Year 2007 a personal

loan of 380 million n was a again

granted to the former Governor to partly

Finance the same properties it said

according to the efcc another loan of

400 million NRA was obtained by Mr

saraki to develop the same properties on

April 28th 2009 it was further alleged

that the personal loans used to acquire

the properties were later liquidated

with the proceeds of Mr SAR criminal

breach of trust or misappropriation of

funds of the quara state government the

escc claimed that Mr saraki procured one

Abdul Adama who was his personal member

of staff to receive cash from then

controller of finance and account of

government House quara State Mr isaka

Karim on a monthly basis the sum of 100

million n while Mr saraki was the

governor of qua State the total sum of

12 billion Nara was allegedly withdrawn

in cash from the qua state government

House's account domiciled in Zen Bank Mr

sari accused the efcc of acting on the

orders of the APC to which hunt him an

allegation that was promptly denied by

the commission sari claimed that the

acting efcc chairman at the time Ibrahim

magu was on a Revenge Mission because of

the role saraki played in blocking his

confirmation as efcc chairman he had

also alleged that he was being witch

hunted by the anti-graft body because he

emerged as the Senate President

president against the wishes of setting

elements within the all Progressive

Congress in

2015 he said the agreed elements in the

APC were using the efcc agency to haunt

and harass him well whether or not his

claims of which hunt are true cannot be

independently determined as he was

engaged in a bitter Feud with bari's APC

at the time another interesting

character is ibraim shikaro Mr shikaro

is a former governor of can State a

former minister of Education in 2018 the

efcc AR Mr shakar alongside former

foreign affairs minister aminu W and one

Mano Ahmad on six counts bordering on

conspiracy and money laundry to the tune

of 950 million n chakar was arranged

alongside his accomplice for allegedly

collecting the said sum from a former

minister of petroleum resources Alison

desani for the main purpose of

influencing the outcome of the 2015

general elections councel to the efcc

Johnson Ojo B had earlier told the court

that the defendants conspired amongst

themselves and received the said amount

without going through financial

institutions he said that the money was

issued to the defendants by The People's

Democratic party and former minister of

petroleum desani Alis Muki in 2020 a

cour of appeal dismissed the case

against the former Governor and

acquitted him of the money laundry

charges in yet another interesting case

we have Dan

Magi danag go a former governor of G

state was charged by the efcc in 2011

alongside alyu El naati a former

executive chairman of the state

Universal basic education board for an

alleged 25 billion fraud the accused

persons were alleged to have engaged in

financial impropriety including the

contract of food supply to the state

government house during Go's

and Loan facilities obtained from Banks

the case which dragged on for years took

a Biz turn during buhari's second time

in office in June 2019 the kibo

newspaper reported that the escc

allegedly pulled out of the case after

Goji withdrew from the Senate presidency

race to endorse Ahmad Lawan in

subsequent reports the Office of the

Attorney General of the Federation took

over the 5 billion n fr case of the

senator from the efcc remember the

Attorney General of the Federation has

the power to Institute continue or

discontinue criminal proceedings against

any persons in any court of law in

Nigeria however after taking over this

case the Office of the Attorney General

of the Federation decided not to proceed

with the case and thus withdrew from the

case consequently terminating it and

another one bites the dust I think the

lady with the most number of heartbreaks

in Nigeria has got to be our dear Lady

Justice throughout my research into this

topic to see how the efcc conducts his

business of investigating and

Prosecuting alleged corrupt officials

one common denominator have come to see

is the influence of the party in power

while some arrests and prosecutions are

labeled as Witch Hunt others are

celebrated as a win for anti-corruption

meanwhile we have cases been dismissed

by authorities just because they can

leaves me wondering when and if at all

our country can ever defeat

corruption thanks for watching I'll see

you in the next one