COURT ORDERS ARREST OF EX-NAVAL CHIEF OVER N1.5B FRAUD

images 3

COURT ORDERS ARREST OF EX-NAVAL CHIEF OVER N1.5B FRAUD

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the arrest of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin and two other officers over N1.5 billion money laundering charges.

The charges were instituted against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

At the hearing on Friday, the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo approved the warrant of arrest following an exparte motion filed by counsel to the ICPC, Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha.

Akponimisingha stated that Jibrin, Adam Imam Yusuf and Brigadier General Ishaya Gangum Bauka (first to third defendants), were being investigated over allegations of money laundering and making false statement regarding diversion of funds in their respective military and paramilitary institutions, into companies they alleged had a stake in.

According to him, at the commencement of the investigation into the allegations, the defendants were released on administrative bail on self-recognizance because of their status as serving and former public figures and has since refused to show up for possible arraignment in court.

“This Honourable Court in an ex-parte application by the Complainant/Applicant granted an order of substituted service of the charge on the Defendants/Respondents through O.J. ONOJA, SAN & ASSOCIATES,” Akponimisingha said.

”Sequel to the said order of substituted service, the Complainant/Applicant has since served the charge on the Defendants/Respondents through their Counsel, O.J. ONOJA, SAN & ASSOCIATES.

”Despite the service of the criminal charge on the Defendants/Respondents through their Counsel, O.J, ONOJA, SAN & ASSOCIATES, they have falled or neglected to come to court for their arraignment.

“This Honorable court has the statutory as well as the inherent powers to grant this application pursuant to the provisions of sections 184 of ACJA as well as section 6 (6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” he added.

Akponimisingha prayed the court for a bench warrant against the respondents (Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin Oyibe, Adam Imam Yusuf, and Brigadier General Ishaya Gamgum Bauka) in charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/158/2023 is pending before the court for the purpose of arresting and bringing them to court for their arraignment and trial.

Listed as first to sixth defendants in the 17-count charge are Usman Jibrin Oyibe, Adam Imam Yusuf, Brigadier General Ishaya Gangum Bauka, Lahab integrated & Multi Services Limited, Gate Coast Properties International Limited and Ummays Hummayd Energy Ltd.

Two of the counts read: “That you VICE Admiral Usman Jibrin Oyibe (M) sometime in March, 2015 ог thereabout in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being the Chief of Naval Staff of the Nigerian Navy did take possession of the sum of N22,000,000.00 (Twenty-Two Million Naira) deposited by Sand Prop Ltd into the Zenith Bank account number: 1013913028 of Gate Coast Properties International Limited, a company account which bears your signature against the name and passport photograph of one Lami Idum as the sole signatory, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

“That you Adam Imam Yusuf (M) sometime in January, 2020 or thereabout in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a staff of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) did take possession of the sum of N410,000,000.00 (Four Hundred and Ten Million Naira) deposited into your Zenith Bank account number 2219799630 by Gate Coast Properties International Limited, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.”The judge then adjourned the matter to June 3, 2024.

  • Dons Eze

    DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.

    Related Posts

    NIVEA MAKER FAULTS NAFDAC, SAYS PRODUCT NOT SOLD IN NIGERIA

    NIVEA MAKER FAULTS NAFDAC, SAYS PRODUCT NOT SOLD IN NIGERIA A German multinational company, Beiersdorf, which manufactures the NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-on deodorant, has denied selling the recalled product in Nigeria. The company disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in response to a recent safety alert by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control regarding the saftety, sale and distribution of the product. Beiersdorf clarified that NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-On Deodorant with Batch number 93529610, had been discontinued since 2022 and was not sold or advertised in Nigeria. On Thursday NAFDAC’s gave alert and warning against the use of the body deodorant. The agency, in a statement, said the product had been recalled by European authorities because it allegedly contains harmful chemicals prohibited for use in cosmetics products. The dangerous chemical is called 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA) according to NAFDAC. This roll-on is part of the Nivea Black & White Invisible series, which is specifically designed to address concerns about deodorant stains on clothing.The series is marketed as a “no stains” deodorant line, suitable for all-day protection without the worry of white marks on dark clothes or yellow stains on light ones. According to NAFDAC, the product is flagged by the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Dangerous Non-Food Products (RAPEX) in Brussels. Reacting, Beiersdorf, in a statement said the products had been out of circulation since 2022, and so not in Nigeria or any part of the world.The European legislation publicly prohibited the use of ingredient 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products in March 2022. The cosmetic multinational company said production of the NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-on deodorant was discontinued in February 2022 “before the BMHCA ban and is fully compliant with the EU cosmetic regulations.” The statement partly read, “Based on current European legislation, the use of ingredient 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products has been banned from the European markets as of March 1, 2022. “We wish to assure our esteemed customers that the Batch No. 93529610 in question has not been marketed in Nigeria and thus never recalled by Beiersdorf, the owner of NIVEA brand, as the legal manufacturer. The batch in question expired in January 2022 and was hence at the time fully compliant with the then valid European cosmetic regulation”.The company affirmed its commitment to meeting global safety standards and ensured that its products undergo strict quality checks to meet regulatory requirements. “Our entire NIVEA portfolio has been reformulated to exclude Lilial well ahead of the EU regulation that came into effect,” the company said. “The NIVEA BLACK & WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant has been Lilial-free since 2020, including in Nigeria,” it said. It added that it was also collaborating with NAFDAC to ensure adequate regulation, and pledged to ensure that Nigerian consumers are protected and informed.

    LAGOS LG CHAIRMAN WHO SUCCEEDED LATE PREDECESSOR DIES IN OFFICE

    LAGOS LG CHAIRMAN WHO SUCCEEDED LATE PREDECESSOR DIES IN OFFICE Chairman of Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle, is dead. Olakanle, popularly known as Tant’olorun, died four years after his predecessor, Babatunde Oke, passed away while in office in August, 2020. Olakanle, then Vice Chairman, stepped in after he was sworn in by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. He was among the 57 Chairmen sworn in by Sanwo-Olu on July 27, 2021, after the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) swept the council polls. However, the LCDA boss reportedly died on Saturday after a brief illness at the age of 54. Sanwo-Olu, in a condolence message signed by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, described Olakanle’s death as a colossal loss to Onigbongbo LCDA, the ruling APC, and Lagos State as a whole. The governor described him as a loyal party man, committed democrat, and public officer who had a deep understanding of local government administration and the political landscape. “On behalf of my family, the people, and the government of Lagos State Government, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the residents of Onigbongbo LCDA on the death of the council Chairman, Hon. Oladotun Olakanle. His death was a personal loss to me and a painful loss to his council and Lagos State. “I am saddened by the death of this fine gentleman, a loyal party man and committed democrat and public officer who had a deep understanding of local government administration and the political landscape. “Hon. Olakanle was a loyal politician and an invaluable asset to the All Progressives Congress (APC). There is no doubt that he would be missed by the entire political class, particularly the Onigbongbo LCDA, the Lagos APC family, and the state as a whole. “As the Chairman of Onigbongbo LCDA, Olakanle was deeply committed to the progress and well-being of the council, and this was evident in every programme he championed and the remarkable performance of his administration in the last four years. “He would be remembered for creating a lasting legacy and for his positive contributions to the growth and development of the Onigbongbo Local Council Development Area,” the governor said. He prayed that God would grant the soul of Olakanle eternal rest and comfort his immediate and political family, as well as the people of Onigbongbo LCDA. “I pray that God will grant the soul of our beloved Hon. Oladotun Olakanle eternal rest and comfort to his immediate and political family of the deceased, as well as the people of Onigbongbo LCDA,” he prayed.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    LIBYA BEGINS MASS ARREST OF NIGERIANS AFTER CAF VERDICT

    NIGERIANS SLAM DANGOTE REFINERY OVER FUEL PRICE SECRECY

    NIVEA MAKER FAULTS NAFDAC, SAYS PRODUCT NOT SOLD IN NIGERIA

    LAGOS LG CHAIRMAN WHO SUCCEEDED LATE PREDECESSOR DIES IN OFFICE

    ABIA LG POLLS: ZLP WINS 15 LGAS, YPP TWO

    KEMI BADENOCH SUCCEEDS RISHI SUNAK AS UK’S CONSERVATIVE LEADER