EFCC Arrests Former EFCC Director of Operations.
August 13, 2008 by 
Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
Mr. Ibrahim Lamode, former Director of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) was yesterday arrested by operatives of the EFCC. According to a reliable source, he is being held in Abuja Police Command cell opposite old CBN office off Samuel Akintola Boulevard Garki II.
It was further gathered that it took several attempts before Lamode’s house was broken into to effect his arrest. Our source said that Lamode had been queried by the EFCC about a file which he denied knowledge of but at the raid, the file was found in his possession.
Informed sources in the Police Force claims that the file found on Lamode though ought to be in EFCC office, is not the file that is giving the new leadership of EFCC sleepless night. The most sort after file we were told is the George Akume file, believed to contain the bail bond signed by Mrs. Waziri before her appointment as EFCC boss.
Mr. Ibrahim Magu an ace investigator have been cooling off in EFCC cell while his houses have been ransacked with valuables including his personal computer, laptop and documents carted away by the EFCC.
Meanwhile the where about of former EFCC boss Nuhu Ribadu, is unknown, adding credence to the speculations that he might have fled abroad to avoid arrest by the commission he once headed. Last week, Ribadu was demoted two steps from the rank of AIG to DCP.
With this latest development, it is obvious that the war against corruption has finished the last stanza of her swan song. I repeat there is no need to kill the EFCC because Ribadu was consumed by passion without understanding the political land mines.
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EFCC, Ribadu And The Civil Society Sympathy
August 13, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
As the hues and cries over the demotion of Ribadu hits the Olympus, I am forced to look at the characters of those crying more than the bereaved. These cries have nothing to do with the “ill manner” Mrs. Waziri is running the EFCC. The cry has nothing to do with the effect of this shameless act by the Police on the image of Nigeria. A good number of these are the members of the civil society that benefited from the Civil Society-EFCC partnership under Nuhu Ribadu.
EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu, started a programme tagged FIX NIGERIA INITIATIVE. Under this quasi-NGO, a great number of timber and calibre of the civil society community were drafted in to assist EFCC to spread the message and get an attitudinal change among Nigerians. Under this programme, the likes of Adams Oshiomhole, Femi Falana et al appeared on Fix-Nigeria sponsored adverts on NTA and added their quota to the war. When EFCC under Ribadu was accused of witch hunting Obasanjo’s enemies, the ready answer was “let him run after them, when another EFCC boss comes on board, let him run after Obasanjo’s cronies” So why the hullabaloo all about?
Mrs. Waziri, should look into this Fix-Nigeria Initiative, she will see enough to keep the civil society off her back. A good number of pro-Ribadu Civil society groups benefitted questionably from this Fix-Nigeria Initiative. To further scar them, Mrs. Waziri should conduct a probe into the structure, activities and source of funding of these Civil society groups. In a counter insurgence move, the Civil Society should make available the claimed bail bond for George Akume believed to be signed by Mrs. Waziri.
My headache with Ribadu was that he personalised the war and with the active aid of the media saw himself as the only good incorruptible Nigerian and failed to clone other incorruptible Nigerians to take over should he fall as he has fallen. It is this glorification and refual to build human structure that is behind his travails. Those he ran after are leaving no stone unturned to show that Ribadu has a foot of clay and can of fresh worms.
The owner of Russell Centre Zone 4 Abuja, Chief Nwude had the guts to accuse Ribadu of not selling his properties equitably. In deed the lion has been crippled and the antelope has come to collect overdue debt.
Apart from this criminal confrontation, a “black sheep” in the Civil Society community who was not favourably engaged by Ribadu, wrote a petition to the new EFCC boss, asking how the properties of exconvict, ex-governor of Bayelsa, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha were disposed.
For those crying over Ribadu, my candid advice is to start engaging Mrs. Waziri before she smears Nigeria’s image with indelible ink of unseriousness over zero tolerance of corruption. According to Zik, broken bottle has no mekwaterism. The Civil society should mobilise Nigerians to seek alternative remedy to the trial of those perceived corrupt ex-governors, as it is obvious that the Rule of Law concept can be a flexible tool to perpetuate corruption. But charity they say begins at home. The civil society should look inward, after it’s their kit and kin that is defending Kenny Martins, who have been indicted over his activities in Police Equipment Fund.
In all these Civil society’s cry, which group has risen in defence of the fears raised by the star witness in the lingering trial of Kenny Martins?
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EFCC Under Waziri: Questions Arising
August 11, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
The uneasy times facing Obasanjo loyalists took a nose dive for the worst with the arrest of Bode George on the wee hours of Thursday by the EFCC. Of all the zonal chairmen of PDP, Bode George was the most loquacious that often times he was mistaken for the Party’s National Chairman. Despite his predicted political tsunami in Lagos, all PDP could get was the death of her aspirant and an Ambassadorial posting to Ghana as Lagos was not drown by PDP.
Prior to this big bang, the Obasanjo regime’s lapdog was demoted from the exalted rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police. The dismantling of Ribadu started with the removal from EFCC all unit heads “loyal” to Ribadu. The first to be axed was Director of Operations Mr. Ibrahim Lamode. He was quietly redeployed to an obscure Police formation in Bauchi. At the wake of this questionable redeployment of experienced hands in EFCC, the Police spin doctors said that such exercise is procedural.
As Nigerians were coming to terms with the demolition of EFCC structures under Ribadu’s chairmanship, Ibrahim Magu one of the best financial crime investigators in Nigeria, came under the blurred microscope of the new EFCC leadership. Mr. Magu has been a bird of passage in EFCC detention darting in and out at the whip and caprices of those behind the dismantling Obasanjo’s structure. Mr. Magu’s houses (Abuja and Lagos) have been searched. From the lorry load of papers and files removed including a laptop, it is obvious that the new leadership of EFCC is desperately in need of a document in Mr. Magu’s custody. Mr. Magu, an ace investigator, led the team of investigators who investigated the allegations of economic crimes against James Ibori (ex-governor of Delta State) and Bukola Saraki, Governor of Kwara State and Chairman Governors Forum.
A reliable source at EFCC said that the new leadership is searching for the EFCC file on George Akume, former governor of Benue State. It was revealed by national dailies at the wake of Mrs Waziri’s appointment that she is tinted with corruption and indeed did sign the bail bond for Mr. Akume. It was furthermore opined that Mrs. Waziri was forced on Yar’Adua by a team of corrupt PDP ex-governors to dampen the cases against them and find a Rule of Law approach to the problems.
The leadership style of Mrs. Waziri is giving credence to the belief in many quarters that she is an undertaker with the sole responsibility of burying the anti-corruption war. I am not a diehard fan of Ribadu. I have had course to question Ribadu’s style of prosecuting the anti-corruption war. But what cannot be denied Ribadu was that he had the zeal to rid Nigeria of corruption forget that he may not have understood the antics of the old fox in Otta Farm and the political landmines dotted on his way. Because of Ribadu’s zealous courage, Nigeria’s battered 419 image in the international community got a face lift.
Has Nigeria’s corrupt image improved under Mrs. Waziri? Is this current anti Obasanjo movement the best for Nigeria? Must we cut our nose to spite our face? Must the child be thrown away with the bath water? Is there no method of dealing with and atoning for the sins of the past administration (which was also a PDP administration) without dragging Nigeria decades backward?
Let us ponder and attack.
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Bode George Arrested By EFCC
August 7, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The South-West leader of the People Democratic Party, Chief Bode George was this morning picked up by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
This arrest is connected with Bode George’s activities as Chairman Board of Directors Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA). Dancing to public out cry, the EFCC under Nuhu Ribadu, conducted an investigation into the activities of Bode George especially with regards to award of contracts between 2001 and 2003 and nothing was heard of the investigation. Bode George was accused of mismanaging and fraudulently running the NPA to enrich himself and his cronies in the PDP.
Bode George, quietly went out of the country in what national observers termed an escape. Bode George re-entered the country last week ahead of the PDP meeting taking place in Abuja and boasted to airport correspondents that the EFCC can dare to effect his arrest and that he was not on the run but merely took a holiday after a long “sacrificial” service to the nation for 9 years.
EFCC swept in at the end of PDP meeting, where Obasanjo’s powers as Chairman Board of Trustees was clipped and the party recommended the implementation of Chief Alex Ekwueme’s report on reconciliation in PDP.
Bode George is expected in court on Tuesday next week.
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Nigeria Police Force Lays Ribadu To Rest
August 6, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The dangling lid of the fate of the dethroned EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, was yesterday driven home with a cold nail by the Police Service Commission. In a style akin to that of an undertaker, Nuhu Ribadu was demoted to the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police. In the hey days of Obasanjo, Ribadu was rapidly promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) and this ruffled feathers in the Nigeria Police Force.
With the exit of Olusegun Obasanjo, the table was turned against Obasanjo loyalists and among the first causalities was EFCC. EFCC was perceived by some people as a tool of witch hunt in the hands of Obasanjo and was a willing tool in the disqualification of “credible” politicians up to the eve of their party primaries. Ribadu has been quoted as boasting that no corrupt politician will contest 2007 election. With the results in and challenged in all quarters, Nigerians are agape that such amount fraud could be perpetuated by politicians supposedly cleared by EFCC.
With immediate alacrity, Ribadu was sent on course to be better equipped to work in EFCC, but before informed Nigerians could come to his rescue, a new EFCC was appointed and his study leave became out right removal from the commission. Not done with the distancing of Ribadu from the activities of the commission, a group of ex-governors, believed to have a born to crack with Ribadu, is believed to be using the new Chairman Mrs. Waziri to find a Rule of Law means to dampen the corruption charges against them.
It is on record that the current Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondakaa did a series of contentious matter with the EFCC and there was no love lost between the duo.
This current two steps backwards demotion of Ribadu, is seen as a Rule of Law solution to the trial of ex-governors.
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Boni Haruna, Ex-Adamawa Governor Arraigned By EFCC Denied Bail.
August 5, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 1 Comment
.The camp of the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was finally ruffled when Boni Haruna was arraigned today at a Federal High Court holden at Abuja and was denied bail. The matter was adjourned to August 7th to hear the bail application. I wonder why these lawyers defending these “corrupt” politicians come to Federal High Court to make an oral application for bail. There are precedents in this war by the EFCC against corrupt ex-governors pointing to the fact that judges do not grant oral applications for bail. Lawyers should take their brief seriously.
The former governor was running mate to Atiku in 1999 election before Atiku was picked by Obasanjo to be crowned Vice President.
The EFCC picked up Haruna on Thursday July 31st, restricted his visitors and finally charged him with 21 count charges of fraud, stealing and abuse of office.
The Action Congress, who have been hailing such arrests by the EFCC have maintained a grave yard silence.
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Police Equipment Fund 50 Billion Naira Trial Heads For The Rocks.
August 4, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The 50B sensational fraud exposed in the Police Equipment Fund, may be on its way to death via a judicial coup de grace, as the lead witness for the prosecution Dr. Godson Ewulum said that his life is in danger. Alleging that those behind this threat to his life, have been harassing him and his lawyer, Barrister Festus Kayemo, with telephone calls. And to drive home their point, a stash of fake dollar bills was thrown into his house.
Dr. Ewulum was part of the Police Equipment Fund, which the co-ordinator Chief Kenny Martins solely turned into a foundation and ran it like a family concern. Dr. Ewulum resigned from the “foundation” over what he termed gross mismanagement and through his lawyer, petitioned the National Assembly which gave birth to the probe that initiated EFCC’s arrest of Kenny Martins, his deputy Ibrahim Dumuje and a retired staff of the Ministry of Police affairs, Permanent Secretary Yaro Gella.
In a petition directed to the IG of Police and dated July 23, Dr. Ewulum among other things want; a 24 hours police protection for him and his lawyer. He further stated that if these were not granted, he will not testify in the on-going PEF trial.
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