… Arraigns Ex-BSEIC chairman Loko
THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday brought National Coordinator of the Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) at the North East Development Commission (NEDC), Mr Danjuma Mohammed, and Abuja socialite, Mr Chibuike Echem, before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court over an alleged N2.28 billion fraud.
The duo were arraigned at the high court sitting in Zuba, Abuja, on a 55-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, advance fee fraud and forgery. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Former Chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSEIC), Dr. Tersoo Joseph
The anti-graft agency alleged that Mohammed and Echem fraudulently obtained large sums of money from an indigenous construction and equipment supply firm, Diamond Leeds Limited, by claiming they could facilitate the award of lucrative government contracts through supposed high-level connections.
According to court filings, the alleged scheme dated back to 2023 when Echem, described as being close to the chairman of Diamond Leeds, Mr Kenneth Ifekudu, introduced him to Mohammed. Mohammed was said to have portrayed himself as an influential figure with the capacity to secure major contracts in the North-East.
Investigators further alleged that Echem, who had previously served as a consultant to Diamond Leeds, leveraged his relationship with the company’s chairman and, working with Mohammed and another suspect, Aminu Alhaji, who is still at large, persuaded the firm to release substantial funds for purported contracts.
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The EFCC told the court that although Diamond Leeds was issued several letters of contract award, the company was allegedly never allowed to mobilise engineers or equipment to any project location in the North-East. Mohammed was said to have repeatedly blamed insecurity in the region for the failure to commence work.
One of the charges stated that the defendants, between May 2022 and February 2024, conspired to fraudulently obtain N2.28 billion from Mr Kenneth Ifekudu and Diamond Leeds Limited, 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 Act.
After the pleas were taken, EFCC counsel, Mr Olarenwaju Adeola, urged the court to remand the defendants in custody pending the determination of the case.
In her ruling, Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya ordered that Mohammed and Echem be remanded at the Suleja Correctional Centre, citing its closeness to the court. She adjourned the matter to between March 25 and April 7 for the hearing of bail applications.
Addressing journalists after the proceedings, counsel to the nominal complainant, Ms Beth Igwilo, said the prosecution planned to call at least 7 witnesses and appealed for fair and balanced media reporting of the trial.
The court was also informed that internal checks carried out by Diamond Leeds before the arraignment allegedly showed that all the contract documents presented to the company were forged.
The company reportedly expressed dismay that Echem, despite what it described as personal goodwill and gestures extended to him by its chairman, allegedly conspired with others to defraud the firm of significant sums.
It was further alleged that after Diamond Leeds demanded payment for equipment supplied, the suspects opened a Guaranty Trust Bank account bearing the acronym ‘NEDC,’ from which part of the money was paid to the company and represented as settlement for the equipment.
EFCC investigators also claimed to have uncovered other suspicious transactions allegedly linked to Mohammed during the investigation, developments that reportedly led to his removal from the NEDC.
| EFCC arraigns former BSEIC chairman Loko, 10 others over alleged N1.1bn fraud Similarly, the EFFCC also brought former Chairman of the Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSEIC), Dr. Tersoo Joseph Loko, before the Federal High Court in Makurdi over the alleged diversion of public funds totalling N1.1 billion. Loko was arraigned on Wednesday, alongside 10 other defendants before Justice M.S. Abubakar. The defendants are facing a 30-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation and money laundering. READ ALSO: BDC operators halt dollar sales as EFCC raid weakens dollar to N1,420 According to the EFCC, Loko and the others were arrested by operatives of the commission’s Makurdi Zonal Directorate following a petition accusing them of financial misconduct. Investigations revealed that the funds in question were allocated for the conduct of 2020 and 2022 local government elections in Benue State. The petition alleged that Loko abused his position as BSEIC chairman by diverting election funds. Records showed that N985.403 million was released for the 2020 exercise, while additional N680,000,000 was approved for the 2022 elections, bringing the total to N1,665,403,100. Out of this amount, the former chairman was said to have spent only N565.039 million on the two elections. The petitioner further claimed that N1.100 billion could not be accounted for. Part of the charge stated that Loko, sometime in 2022, received N118.166 million from BSEIC funds and diverted it for personal use, despite knowing that the money was allegedly a proceed of unlawful activity. Another count also accused him of receiving N110.905 million in cash from the commission’s funds in the same year, which he allegedly converted for private use in abuse of office. Those standing trial alongside Loko are: Kuleve Kelvin Terlumun, Serki Mtomga Manasseh, Ugbede Denen Ronald, Tatyough Thaddeus, Angwa Dominic Terhember, Uwua Benjamin Igbawua, Adese Asom, Orkuma Emmanuel Nyiusta, Owoicho Odeh, and Mhir Iyenge. When the charges were read in court, all the defendants pleaded not guilty. Following their plea, EFCC counsel M.S. Yusuf asked the court to fix a date for trial so the prosecution could present its case. Justice Abubakar granted each defendant bail in the sum of N50 million with one surety in like amount. |
