Author: Staff Editor
Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, has given Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew 72 hours to withdraw what he described as false and defamatory allegations made against him during a widely circulated press conference or face both civil and criminal legal action. Gbajabiamila, through his solicitors, Pinheiro LP, is also demanding a public apology, the removal of the alleged defamatory publications from all media platforms, and a written undertaking that no further allegations will be made against him. The demands are contained in a cease-and-desist letter dated July 6, 2026, and signed by Senior Advocate of…
The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed July 10, 2026, to deliver judgment in the suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the final forfeiture of 57 properties allegedly linked to former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. The case, which came up on Monday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, was originally slated for judgment after both parties adopted their final written addresses and concluded their arguments on May 26. However, the court deferred its decision and adjourned the matter until July 10. The EFCC is asking the court to permanently forfeit…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured another major victory in its anti-corruption campaign as the Federal High Court ordered the forfeiture of several properties linked to former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, who is currently serving a 75-year prison sentence for corruption. Delivering the ruling on Thursday, July 2, 2026, Justice James Omotosho ordered the final forfeiture of Walijam Apartments, located at No. 43, Plot 435, Lobito Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, after holding that the EFCC had successfully proved that the property was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities. The court also granted interim forfeiture orders over…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Monday, July 6, 2026, presented its first prosecution witness (PW1) before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, in the trial of former Chairman of the Board of Directors of the defunct Skye Bank Plc (now Polaris Bank Limited), Tunde Ayeni. The EFCC is prosecuting Ayeni on an 18-count amended charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and diversion of funds totalling ₦15.6 billion. The defendant was first arraigned on May 4, 2026, on a 17-count charge and was subsequently re-arraigned on June 22,…
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday ordered the National Welfare Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Nkemakolam Ukandu, to pay the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, and Justice Peter Lifu the sum of ₦50 million each. Justice Salim Ibrahim, in a ruling on an oral application made by Mr. J. U. K. Igwe, SAN, counsel to Justice Tsoho and Justice Lifu, ordered that the total sum of ₦100 million be paid within 14 days of the order. Justice Ibrahim had earlier struck out Ukandu’s suit against the National Judicial Council…
A prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Friday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that former Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, did not interfere with procurement processes in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, a key issue in his ongoing trial over an alleged ₦80 million fraud. Ngige is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office. The charges include five counts of allegedly conferring undue advantage on five companies said to be linked to his associates, and three counts relating to the alleged receipt of ₦38 million and…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, Ikoyi, on Thursday, July 2, 2026, re-arraigned Ajayi Edward Olushola and his company, Hola Jay Nigeria Limited. The Commission also arraigned Hannah Nwaguzor Ify and her company, Mozann Global Merchant Limited, before Justice Fadipe of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, over an alleged ₦1.07 billion fraud. The first and second defendants were re-arraigned on an amended four-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing funds amounting to ₦1.07 billion. Ajayi Edward Olushola and Hola Jay Nigeria Limited had previously been arraigned before the court, with…
The 15th Prosecution Witness (PW15), Jim Osayande Obazee, in the trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, on Friday, July 3, 2026, told Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Abuja, that the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of $6.23 million earmarked for a foreign election observer mission for the 2023 general election pushed the CBN’s special dollar account for internal staff and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) into a negative balance of ₦2,858,150,196.42. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Emefiele before Justice Muazu on an amended 20-count charge…
The second prosecution witness (PW2), Akeem Lasisi, in the trial of Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim before Justice J. O. Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Apo, Abuja, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, narrated how his team arrested the defendants, who allegedly impersonated officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Joshua, the first defendant, allegedly claimed to be the Personal Assistant to the Commission’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in a bid to defraud former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko, of $700,000. The EFCC is prosecuting Joshua and Hashim on…
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, Ikoyi, on Monday, June 29, 2026, arraigned Abdulkarim Muhammad Arome and his company, Cresco Oil and Gas Limited, before Justice O. A. Okunuga of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged ₦336,993,863.35 (Three Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-Three Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Three Naira, Thirty-Five Kobo) fraud involving Lotus Bank. The defendants were arraigned on an amended three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and retention of proceeds of criminal conduct. According to the charges, the offences are contrary to Sections 409 and…