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Crime Alert boss sentenced to 75 years imprisonment for investment fraud

Published

11 months ago

December 20, 2023

Olaniyan Gbenga Amos

Crime Alert boss sentenced to 75 years imprisonment for investment fraud

Justice Bayo Taiwo of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan, on Thursday, convicted and sentenced the Chief Executive Officer of Crime Alert Security Network, Ibadan, Olaniyan Gbenga Amos, to 75 years imprisonment for multiple investment frauds.

Olaniyan, according to a statement from the Head of Media and Publicity of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dele Oyewale, on Tuesday, was convicted alongside his firm, Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on December 14, 2023.

They were said to have been prosecuted on 35 count charges by the Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, bordering on obtaining by false pretences, contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

The statement partly read, “Count 35 of the charge read: “That you, Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited, on or about the 20th of February, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N1,540,000 only from Akinlabi Qasim Dada, when you falsely represented to him that the money was meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on investment in six weeks (30 working days), which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of obtaining money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.”

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“Another charge read, “That you, Olaniyan Gbenga Amos and Detorrid Heritage Investment Limited on or about 27th of August, 2020, at Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N170,000 only from Alhaji Mukaila Odunayo, when you falsely represented to him that the money was meant for registration and investment with Crime Alert Security Network with a promise of 30% return on Investment in six weeks (30 working days), which representations you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence of obtaining money under false pretence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.”

The defendants were said to have pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.

Given his plea, the EFCC counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, opened the case on February 17, 2022, and called six witnesses, tendered eight exhibits and closed the case on January 24, 2023.

The counsel disclosed further that “At the end of the prosecution’s case, the defendant filed a “no case submission” which was overruled by the court. Consequently, the defendant opened and closed his case by calling three witnesses. Thereafter, Justice Taiwo reserved judgment in the matter till December 14, 2023.

“At the resumption of the trial on Thursday, December 14, 2023, Justice Taiwo convicted and sentenced the defendant to 15 years imprisonment on each of counts 27, 32, 33, 34, and 35 but discharged and acquitted the defendant on counts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19; 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29; 30 and 31 respectively.

“Furthermore, the court ordered that the sentence should run concurrently and the defendant should also restitute the victims.

“Olaniyan has three other ongoing trials before federal and state High Courts in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“The convict’s journey to the correctional centre began when he was arrested and arraigned before Justice Bayo Taiwo on December 14, 2021, by the EFCC. He swindled several individuals through fake investment ventures that led to the loss of money to the tune of over N1bn by the investors.

“Olaniyan deliberately reneged to meet up with the agreements he made with his investors, by not paying the agreed “Return on Investment” to those who invested in “Crime Alert Security Network”, a security investment programme under the umbrella of his firm.”

Crime Alert boss sentenced to 75 years imprisonment for investment fraud

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

9 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

10 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.