The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a Kogi State House of Assembly candidate, Ismaila Yusuf Atumeyi, with N326 million and $140,500 cash.

EFCC Head of Media and Publicity Wilson Uwujaren announced this in a statement Tuesday in Abuja, a copy of which was made available to Blueprint.

The arrest is coming barely one week after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced plan to redesign and re-issue higher denominations of the naira.

Specifically, the EFCC had warned Bureau de Change (BCD) operators to be wary of currency hoarders who would attempt to seize the opportunity to offload the currencies they had illegally stashed away.

The arrests

Announcing the arrest, Uwujaren said Atumeyi, who is seeking to represent Ankpa II Constituency in the state Assembly on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)’s platform, was arrested Sunday October 30, 2022, alongside one Joshua Dominic, an alleged serial fraudster, in a sting operation at Macedonia Street, Queens Estate Karsana, Gwarinpa, Abuja.

The statement said: “Also arrested in connection with the fis Abdumalik Salau Femi, a former bank employee, who allegedly supplied the inside information that facilitated the attack on the bank by the syndicate.

“He was picked up today, November 1, 2022 at Radisson Blu Hotel in Lagos. Following his arrest, a search was conducted on his home in Morgan Estate, Ojodu where a total of $470,000 USD was recovered.

“The arrest of the suspects followed months of investigation into the hacking of one of the commercial banks by a syndicate of fraudsters who pulled off a heist of N1.4 billion.

“The syndicate allegedly moved N887million into the account of Fav Oil and Gas Limited, from where the monies were paid to several Bureau de Change operators and some auto dealers for exchange into United States Dollars and purchase of high-end cars.

“Dominic, who has severally been arrested for fraud, allegedly helped Atumeyi perfect the hacking plan through Abdumalik.

“Dominic, a self-styled investment expert and managing director of Brisk Capital Limited was arrested in May 2021 by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police for alleged N2 billion investment scam.

“He allegedly defrauded over 500 persons in a phony investment scheme. Two Range Rover Luxury SUVs were also recovered from the two suspects arrested in Abuja,” the EFCC further said.

The spokesperson said the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation was concluded.

Concerns over cyber attacks

Meanwhile, the Commission has expressed concern over the rising spate of cyber-attacks on banks and the reluctance of the institutions to report such breaches to law enforcement.

While warning that such reticence would only embolden the criminals, the EFCC appealed to financial institutions to collaborate with it to secure the financial sector from threats of cyber-attacks.

NDLEA arrests kingpin  

Also, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Tuesday  declared wanted a Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Afolabi Kazeem (a.k.a Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed), over offences bordering on exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs, as well as money laundering.

The decision to declare the suspect wanted followed his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted the agency by a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, 17th October, 2022.

NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi said this in a statement in Abuja.

Babafemi said:  “The wanted drug kingpin was uncovered as the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the anti-narcotics agency in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE, and other destinations outside Nigeria.

“Soon after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, Alhaji Ademola Kazeem, who is also the Chairman of Adekaz Global Integrated Services, went underground.

“Following his failure to honour invitations sent to him, the Agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in Lagos and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of Two Hundred and Seventeen Million Naira (N217,000,000.00), all of which were granted.

“As a result, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday, 26th October 2022, sealed six of the identified properties located on Lagos Island. They include: 105 Tokunbo Street off Broad Street, Lagos Island; 1 Abibu Oki Street off Marina, Lagos Island; 3 Abibu Oki Street off Marina, Lagos Island; 54 Palm Church Street, Lagos Island; 26 Agarawu Street, Lagos Island; and 41 Foresythe Street, Lagos Island. The other one is located at 1 Irepodun zone, Adepoju bus stop, Ajoda Ayedun, Ibadan, Oyo state.”

The statement also said in a related development, the NDLEA “on Friday, 28th October, arrested another drug baron, Udemezue Obunike William at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his return from Brazil.

“His arrest with the support of the Nigeria Immigration Service followed the earlier arrest of some drug couriers linked to Udemezue as their sponsor. They include two mules: Messrs Adolphus Anayochukwu Okeke and Anayo Michael Nnanna.

“The 52-year-old father of four children, who claimed to be a businessman, Okeke Adolphus Anayochukwu was arrested at the Abuja airport by NDLEA operatives with 20.75 kilograms of black liquid cocaine on Tuesday, 15th March, upon his arrival onboard Qatar Airways flight from Sao Paulo, Brazil through Doha, Qatar to Abuja.

“The liquid was discovered upon search of his luggage stuffed with six smaller bags containing 32-makeup mascara, which tested positive to cocaine.

“On the other hand, a Brazilian returnee, Nnanna Anayo Michael, 39, was arrested at the Port Harcourt International Airport, PHIA, during the inward screening of passengers on board Qatar Airline flight QR1433 from Sao Paulo, Brazil via Doha to Port Harcourt on Tuesday, 29th March.

“Nnanna was arrested with 73 sachets weighing 8.15 kilograms of cocaine, which is the largest seizure of such at the airport, since it began international flight operations years ago.

“Further investigations of the two traffickers revealed Udemezue Obunike William as the drug baron behind the cocaine cartel. As a result, he was watch-listed and arrested upon his return from Brazil on Friday, 28th October.”

Marwa lauds officers

In his reaction, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), commended the officers and men of the agency involved in the clinical investigation that led to the unmasking of the two barons.

He said gone were the days when drug kingpins could hide behind traffickers and remain faceless, warning that the new NDLEA would continue to unravel them one after the other if they failed to back out of the criminal trade.

Ex-gov Fayose in the dock

Meanwhile, Former governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, was Tuesday docked at the Ado-Ekiti High Court, Ekiti state capital, on alleged N900 million indebtedness to former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi.

Ajayi was Fayose’s AG during his first and second term tenure as Ekiti governor, between 2003-2006 and 2014-2018.

The suit was filed by Ajayi on 17th December, 2018.

In a suit with registration number HAD/113/2018, the claimant said he handled a total of 18 cases through his law chambers for the former governor, with each costing a sum of N50 million as professional fees, in which he was not paid for.

Ajayi said those cases were prosecuted for Fayose between 2006 and 2014 on his impeachment in 2006 and the corruption case filed against him by the EFCC among others.

In the writ of summon deposed to by the claimant, Ajayi prayed the court for an order compelling Fayose to pay the professional fee without delay.

Ajayi also sought an order compelling the defendant to pay 20% interest on the debt from October 5, 2018 and 10% from the day of judgment.

Fayose objects

But in his preliminary objection, Fayose urged the court to dismiss the case on the ground that it was statute barred, improperly constituted and that the claimant failed to comply with the conditions precedent.

While being cross-examined in court, Fayose described himself as a fulltime politician and admitted to his statement on oath of April 16, 2019 that the suit was ill-conceived and lacking what he called  the legal validity to fly.

Speaking on his relationship with the former AG, Fayose said; “Yes, I knew him, he did some few works for me.

“Between 2006 and 2017, he was working with me and also keeping documents for me.”