EFCC

Alleged ₦738.6m Fraud: Judge Threatens to Revoke Maina’s Bail

Published

9 months ago

February 6, 2026

The trial of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, continued on Thursday, February 5, 2026, before Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Asokoro, with the judge threatening to revoke the defendant’s bail over what he described as repeated antics aimed at stalling the trial.

Justice Kutigi expressed displeasure following the presentation of a hospital referral by the defence counsel, Mr Achibong, and his subsequent request for an adjournment, despite the referral indicating no specific illness.

The judge lamented that the case had failed to make meaningful progress in the last four years due to what he described as deliberate attempts by the defendant to delay proceedings, despite the court granting him ample opportunity to respond to the fraud allegations.

Justice Kutigi noted that Maina’s conduct “has stalled proceedings completely,” recalling that the last time the defendant personally appeared in court was about four years ago. He warned that the court was considering revoking Maina’s bail to compel him to take the trial seriously.

While refusing the defence counsel’s adjournment request, the judge disclosed that he had secured a commitment from the defence team to proceed with the trial henceforth, with or without Maina’s physical presence in court.

Following the dismissal of the adjournment request, prosecution counsel, Francis Usani, proceeded to present the 14th prosecution witness (PW14), Gogi Mohammed, who continued his evidence-in-chief from where he stopped at the previous sitting.

Led in evidence by the prosecution, the witness, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told the court that investigations in Kaduna revealed that the first defendant used staff of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to siphon public funds through payments for fictitious contracts, allowances and biometric enrolment exercises for pensioners.

“In our effort to trace where the funds were kept, we discovered a relative of the defendant, one Maimuna Usman, resident in Kaduna, who was a custodian of his assets. We went to her residence at Gwando MSC Quarters, arrested her and executed a search warrant. During the search, we recovered title documents, deeds of assignment and certificates of occupancy for over 30 properties, mostly located in Abuja and Kaduna State. During interrogation, she disclosed that the documents were given to her by the first defendant,” he said.

The witness further testified that, following interviews with real estate agents involved in the transactions, the EFCC filed for the forfeiture of the properties.

According to him, several of the properties were purchased in cash.

“A property located in Jabi, Abuja, was purchased by Abdulrasheed Maina in cash for $2 million. Another property in Life Camp, Abuja, was bought for $1.7 million in cash, while a property on Katoru Road, Kaduna, was purchased for ₦100 million, also paid in cash,” he said.

Continuing his testimony, the witness said: “My Lord, in the course of my earlier testimony, I mentioned Hamilton Global Services Limited, owned by Osarenkhoe Afe. He was a member of the Pension Reform Task Team headed by Abdulrasheed Maina and was introduced to the team by the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Stephen Oronsaye, at the instance of Maina.

“Afe’s company was awarded a biometric enrolment contract valued at ₦63 million. Before the expiration of the contract, the company applied for an extension and additional payment of ₦136 million, bringing the contract sum to ₦199 million.”

The witness said EFCC investigators requested the bank statements of Innovative Solutions Limited and discovered that a total of ₦224 million was paid to the company for the same contract.

He told the court that the owner of the company, Robert Eakazobo, admitted during interrogation that the contract sum was inflated at the instance of the first defendant.

“Further analysis showed that out of the ₦224 million paid to Innovative Solutions, ₦166 million was transferred to Fredrick Hamilton’s account. It was also discovered that ₦1.19 million was paid directly to him by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for biometric enrolment,” he said.

The witness added that Afe disclosed during investigation that the total amount he received from Innovative Solutions and direct payments from the OHCSF amounted to about ₦280 million, out of which he paid ₦250 million in tranches to the first defendant, mostly through post-dated cheques.

The witness identified the extra-judicial statements of the first and second defendants—six and three pages respectively—written in their own handwriting at the EFCC office. However, defence counsel to both defendants objected to their admissibility, alleging that the statements were obtained under duress.

To determine the circumstances under which the statements were made, Justice Kutigi adjourned the case to February 20 and 26, 2026, for trial-within-trial.

Maina was arraigned alongside Ann Igwe Olachi in 2019 on a nine-count charge bordering on the receipt of stolen funds amounting to ₦738,612,019.99 (Seven Hundred and Thirty-Eight Million, Six Hundred and Twelve Thousand, Nineteen Naira, Ninety-Nine Kobo).

Count one of the charge reads: “That Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, on or about July 2, 2010, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly received the sum of ₦155,000,000 (One Hundred and Fifty-Five Million Naira) from Fredrick Hamilton Global Services Limited through Osarenkhoe Afe, knowing that the said sum was stolen from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the guise of a contract for biometric enrolment of pensioners, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 317, read in conjunction with Section 316, of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, 2007.”

Count two reads: “That Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina and Ann Igwe Olachi, between July and December 2011 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly received an aggregate sum of ₦153,146,719.99 (One Hundred and Fifty-Three Million, One Hundred and Forty-Six Thousand, Seven Hundred and Nineteen Naira, Ninety-Nine Kobo) from Xangee Technologies Limited, knowing that the said sum was stolen from the Federal Government of Nigeria under the guise of a biometric enrolment contract, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 317, read in conjunction with Section 316, of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, 2007.”

Both defendants pleaded not guilty, prompting the commencement of trial.

EFCC

Alleged ₦238.35m Fraud: EFCC Arraigns Man in Lagos

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2026

Staff Editor

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, November 2, 2026, arraigned Adeseun Adeniyi Olukunle before Justice A. O. Okunuga of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged ₦238.35 million fraud.

Olukunle was arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences, stealing and retention of stolen property.

The alleged offences are contrary to Sections 280 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, and Section 328 of the same law.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Adeseun Adeniyi Olukunle, Chanaiyah International Limited and Omotosho Abraham Aremu (at large), sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction, converted the sum of ₦11,000,000.00 (Eleven Million Naira) to the use of Faniran Olusoji John, property of Temitope Bolarinde Samuel, aka Boteam Nigeria Limited.”

Another count reads: “That you, Adeseun Adeniyi Olukunle, Chanaiyah International Limited and Omotosho Abraham Aremu (at large), sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction, converted the sum of ₦19,000,000.00 (Nineteen Million Naira) to the use of Omotayo Faniran, property of Temitope Bolarinde Samuel, aka Boteam Nigeria Limited.”

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

Following his plea, prosecuting counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, urged the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional centre pending trial.

She informed the court that the second defendant, Chanaiyah International Limited, was controlled by Omotosho Abraham Aremu, who is currently at large. She consequently urged the court to enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the company, a request that was granted.

However, defence counsel, Yusuf T. Nurudeen, informed the court that he had filed a bail application on behalf of his client and urged the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.

In his ruling, Justice Okunuga granted Olukunle bail in the sum of ₦300 million, with two sureties in like sum.

The judge directed that one of the sureties must own landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, subject to verification by the court registrar. The sureties were also required to provide evidence of tax payment.

The case was adjourned until January 18, 19 and 20, 2027, for the commencement of trial.

EFCC

Hard Times Await Illegal Miners as Olukoyede Bags MINILS Fellowship Award

Published

2 days ago

November 3, 2026

Staff Editor

The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Ola Olukoyede, has vowed to intensify the crackdown on illegal mining by targeting financiers, mineral buyers, compromised public officials and other collaborators who profit from the illicit exploitation of Nigeria’s mineral resources.

Olukoyede made this known in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, while delivering a keynote address at a joint conference on illegal mining, corruption and climate implications, organised by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, in partnership with the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA). The EFCC chairman was also conferred with a Fellowship Award by the institute.

Speaking on the theme, “Uprooting the Roots of Resource Theft: A Zero-Tolerance Approach to Mining Corruption and Increasing Insecurity in Nigeria,” the anti-corruption czar observed that despite Nigeria’s abundant mineral resources, including gold, lithium, tin, lead and zinc, the country had yet to maximise their economic benefits due to corruption, illegal exploitation and insecurity.

He stressed that mineral wealth could only become a national blessing if properly managed and protected from criminal exploitation.

He explained that illegal mining was not merely the work of individuals operating mining pits but involved sophisticated networks of local and international financiers, buyers, compromised officials, transporters and beneficiaries of illicit proceeds.

He therefore advocated an enforcement strategy that goes beyond arresting miners to identifying and dismantling the financial networks behind the criminal enterprise.

“A serious enforcement strategy must move from the pit to the purse,” he declared, adding that the EFCC would continue to follow the money, investigate financiers and facilitators, trace illicit proceeds and prosecute offenders based on evidence.

Giving an account of the Commission’s efforts, Olukoyede disclosed that between October 2023 and July 2026, the EFCC recorded 52 illegal mining cases within its specialised enforcement portfolio, resulting in investigations, prosecutions and convictions.

He also revealed that the Commission had secured the forfeiture of 102 tonnes of solid minerals.

He emphasised that illegal mining was not just an economic crime but could fuel extortion, smuggling, violence and other forms of criminality, thereby worsening insecurity in affected communities.

The EFCC chairman further called for stronger collaboration among mining regulators, law enforcement agencies, financial intelligence institutions, customs authorities, revenue agencies and host communities.

He maintained that effective information-sharing, joint intelligence and coordinated operations were essential to identifying the financiers and ultimate beneficiaries of illegal mining.

He also urged organised labour, traditional institutions, civil society organisations and the media to support efforts to promote transparency, decent work and accountability in the extractive sector.

Earlier, the Director-General of MINILS and chief host, Comrade Issa Aremu, commended the EFCC under Olukoyede’s leadership for its efforts to curb illegal activities and promote accountability in the country.

He also underscored the importance of the conference in advancing labour education and addressing contemporary challenges confronting workers and the environment.

In his remarks, the Chairman of HEDA Resource Centre, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju, described illegal mining, corruption and environmental degradation as interconnected challenges requiring collective action.

He stressed that organised labour must play a central role in Nigeria’s transition to clean energy to ensure that workers are not left behind.

He explained that the three-day engagement was designed to equip labour leaders with advocacy, skills development and collective bargaining tools while promoting a joint action plan for monitoring suspicious mining activities and a Green Accountability Campaign.

The highlight of the event was the conferment of a Fellowship Award on the EFCC chairman by MINILS in recognition of his contributions to the fight against corruption and related economic crimes.

EFCC

EFCC Uncovers Chinese-Operated Illegal Oil Refinery in Ogun

Published

2 days ago

November 3, 2026

Staff Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in the Ogere area of Ogun State.

The operation, conducted on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, followed credible intelligence and surveillance by the Commission into the activities of illegal sludge oil refiners.

The refinery was deserted when EFCC operatives stormed the premises, following the Commission’s earlier clampdown on four illegal lithium processing plants in the area.

However, waste products from the refining process were discovered at the site.

During the raid, operatives also discovered underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil.

Two of the tanks inspected contained substances suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the operators sourced sludge oil, also known as black sludge, from Warri, Delta State, and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and transported it to the illegal facility in Ogere for processing.

Further investigations indicated that the operators subjected the sludge oil to intense heat, allowing lighter petroleum components to pass through a series of chambers and filters in a process believed to produce Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) for sale in the Nigerian market.

Security personnel at the facility reportedly told EFCC operatives that the Chinese operators had neither disclosed their identities nor identified the company behind the facility.

Consequently, operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 have taken over the premises as investigations continue to establish the identities of the operators, determine ownership of the facility and ascertain the full extent of the suspected illegal activities and economic sabotage.