Crime & Justice

EFCC Arraigns Former NEDC National Coordinator Over Alleged ₦2.28bn Fraud

Published

9 months ago

January 28, 2026

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, arraigned a former National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP), North East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, alongside Prince Chibuike Echem and Aminu Alhaji (currently at large), before Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Zuba, Abuja, over an alleged ₦2.28 billion fraud.

The defendants were arraigned on a 54-count amended charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and forgery, involving a total sum of ₦2,280,000,000 (Two Billion, Two Hundred and Eighty Million Naira).

At the proceedings, prosecution counsel Adeola Olanrewaju informed the court of an earlier charge filed on December 3, 2025, and sought leave to substitute it with the amended 54-count charge dated January 22, 2026, relying on the proof of evidence attached. The court granted the application.

Count One of the charge reads in part: “That you, Alhaji Danjuma Mohammed, being the National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP), North East Development Commission, Prince Chibuike Echem, and Aminu Alhaji (still at large), between May 2022 and February 2024 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to commit an illegal act, to wit: obtaining by false pretence the cumulative sum of ₦2,280,000,000 from one Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, Managing Director of Diamond Leeds Limited, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.

Count Three further alleges that: “The defendants, sometime between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023, in Abuja, with intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of ₦573,500,000 (Five Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu of Diamond Leeds Limited through a Wema Bank account belonging to Prince Chibuike Echem, under the false pretence that they had the capacity to award and execute contracts under the North East Recovery and Stabilisation Programme (NERSP) of the NEDC—a pretence they knew to be false. This offence is contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006”.

All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

Following the plea, the prosecution requested a trial date and asked that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the determination of the case.

However, defence counsel Chukwuka Obidike informed the court that a motion for bail had already been filed.

In response, the prosecution stated its intention to file a counter-affidavit opposing the bail application, noting that the motion was only served at about 4:30 p.m. the previous day.

Ruling on the matter, Justice Ogbonnaya held that, in the interest of justice, the prosecution should be allowed time to respond. He therefore ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre pending trial.

The case was adjourned to March 25, 2026, for commencement of trial.

Crime & Justice

EFCC Arraigns Businessman for Alleged ₦30.14m Fraud

Published

1 month ago

October 1, 2026

Staff Editor

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, arraigned a businessman, Christopher Elendu Enyinnwa, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged ₦30.14 million fraud.

Enyinnwa was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion and obtaining money under false pretences in connection with the proposed supply of slippers from China.

The defendant was alleged to have collected a total of ₦30,140,000 from the petitioner, Chidebere Love Okafor, for the supply of slippers from China.

Count One reads: “Christopher Elendu Enyinwa sometime in August 2024, at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, fraudulently converted for your own use the sum of Two Million Naira (₦2,000,000.00), property of Chidebere Love Okafor.”

Count Two reads: “Christopher Elendu Enyinwa sometime in August 2024, at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, fraudulently converted for your own use the sum of Eleven Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand Naira (₦11,923,000.00), property of Chidebere Love Okafor.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, informed the court that the prosecution was ready for trial and had two witnesses available in court.

Defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, however, sought an adjournment to enable him to prepare for trial, explaining that he had prepared only for the arraignment.

Justice Abike-Fadipe overruled the defence request and directed the prosecution to call its first witness.

The first prosecution witness, PW1, Okafor Love Chidebere, who works at Gomac Industry Nigeria Limited and is the petitioner, told the court that she knew the defendant as a fellow church member.

According to her, Enyinnwa had told her that he travelled to China for business and could assist her in purchasing slippers from China.

She said, “He is my church member. I knew him in church. He told me he buys goods, and I approached him to buy slippers in China for me.”

The witness explained that, after discussing the product she wanted to purchase, she gave the defendant a sample of the slippers to take to China.

She said the defendant subsequently provided a price for the goods, which she initially considered high because she was negotiating with another company offering a lower price.

According to her, she eventually trusted Enyinnwa because he was her church member and agreed to proceed with the transaction.

She told the court that the defendant requested an initial deposit of ₦2 million, which she paid into his Access Bank account in August 2024.

The witness further stated that, after the defendant returned from China, he showed them samples of the slippers, following which some amendments were made and the samples were returned to him.

She said the defendant later requested ₦11,923,000 to commence production, which was also paid into his Access Bank account.

According to her, the defendant subsequently demanded another ₦15 million as the balance, which was paid to him.

She said, “After that, he told us that he will go back to ship the goods in a very short while.”

However, when the defendant did not travel as expected, the witness said they contacted him, and he claimed that he was having issues with his travel documents.

She further told the court that, after several calls, the defendant requested another ₦2 million to facilitate his travel documents.

According to her, she and her husband agreed to provide the money because they wanted him to travel back to China and complete the transaction.

The witness said the defendant eventually travelled to China in February 2025 and later informed them that he had shipped goods, including clothes, and would provide the relevant documents when the shipment arrived.

She said the goods, however, did not arrive as promised.

The witness further narrated that her pastor subsequently summoned her to his office and informed her that some of the defendant’s claims were allegedly untrue.

She said members of the church intervened in the matter and the defendant promised to refund the money, but had yet to do so.

According to PW1, “The total amount is ₦30,140,000. Up till now, I have not seen the goods and the money.”

During cross-examination, defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, requested another date to cross-examine the witness.

The prosecution thereafter urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility.

Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned the matter to November 26, December 16 and 17, 2026, for continuation of trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility.

Crime & Justice

Court Jails Fake Spiritualist for Sextortion in Abuja

Published

2 months ago

September 10, 2026

Staff Editor

Justice C.N. Nwabulu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, convicted and sentenced a fake spiritualist, Solomon Odigie Moses, to one year’s imprisonment.

Moses was arraigned on a one-count charge bordering on cheating and impersonating a spiritualist, thereby defrauding and obtaining the sum of $1,100 (One Thousand, One Hundred United States Dollars) from an Indian lady seeking spiritual healing.

Moses, who was arrested in Ekpoma, Edo State, received and laundered the $1,100 through his Zelle payment platform, after which the naira equivalent was paid into his local bank account.

The convict subsequently deceived the victim into taking a naked spiritual bath, which he recorded live without her permission, and thereafter blackmailed her, demanding that she send him money or he would make the video public.

Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the victim had to pay the sum of $1,100 to the suspect to prevail on him not to release the video of her nudity to the public.

The charge against him read: “That you, Solomon Odigie Moses (A.K.A. DR SOLOMON), sometime in 2026 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fraudulently impersonate a spiritual leader named Dr. Solomon on a fictitious TikTok account and obtained the sum of $1,100 (One Thousand, One Hundred Dollars) from an Indian lady by name Sharon Kaur, for the purpose of spiritual prayer and assistance, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 321 of the Penal Code Act (Abuja) LFN, 1990 and punishable under Section 322 of the same Act.”

He pleaded “guilty”, following which the prosecution counsel, Maryam Hayatudeen, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.

In his ruling, Justice Nwabulu convicted and sentenced Moses to one year’s imprisonment with an option of a ₦300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira) fine.

The judge further directed that the $1,100 proceeds of crime be forfeited to the victim through the EFCC.

Crime & Justice

Immigration Intercepts Two With ₦34m Allegedly Meant For Kidnap Ransom

Published

2 months ago

September 10, 2026

Staff Editor

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has intercepted two persons in Adamawa State with ₦34 million in cash, with the suspects allegedly linked to a kidnapping syndicate.

The suspects were intercepted with the cash during an operation in the state.

The Comptroller of Immigration Service, Sani Sule-Jega, disclosed this at a media briefing in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

According to him, preliminary investigations showed that the suspects claimed the money was intended to pay ransom for their abducted brother.

In a separate operation, the Adamawa State Command of the NIS also intercepted 17 irregular migrants at Rumde Baruw in Yola North Local Government Area of the state.

The undocumented migrants were intercepted at a private three-bedroom residence during an operation by officers of the command.

Sule-Jega said preliminary profiling showed that 13 of the migrants were Cameroonian nationals, comprising eight males and five females, while the remaining four were Chadian nationals, all males.

The Comptroller noted a shift in the accommodation pattern of undocumented migrants, particularly their increasing use of private and unregistered apartments instead of conventional lodging facilities such as hotels.

He said the service was intensifying surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and address emerging patterns of irregular migration in the state.

Sule-Jega reiterated the command’s commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity, improving migration management and strengthening border security.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in maintaining peace and security across the state.

The suspects and recovered cash have been taken into custody for further investigation and necessary action in accordance with established procedures and applicable laws.

The Comptroller General of Immigration has directed that the suspects and exhibits be handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation.