Metro

Supreme Court Reserves Judgment On N3.5bn Paris Club Fraud

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

Editor

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has reserved judgment in an appeal on the final forfeiture of the sum of N1.2bn, brought before it by Melrose General Services Limited, until June 7, 2024.

The appellant is challenging the judgment of the Court of Appeal in May 2019, ordering the forfeiture of the sum, being proceeds of unlawful activity in the Paris Club fund, involving Melrose General Services Limited.

This was made known in a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, on Thursday.

Counsel for the appellant, Kehinde Ogunwumiji, while informing the apex court of a motion seeking the setting aside of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, noted that the money involved in the forfeiture suit was not a proceed of any unlawful activity, but payment for a contractual and consultancy agreement.

Counsel for the EFCC however, informed the court of his counter-affidavit dated March 11, 2024, praying the court to adopt his brief of argument and dismiss the appeal of the appellant.

The statement reads in part “My Lords, we seek the leave of your noble Lordships to undertake a brief overview of the concept of forfeiture granted by the two courts below in a bid to drive home the 1st respondent`s case. There are generally two types of forfeitures used to recover the proceeds and instrumentalities of crimes. They share the same objective, namely the forfeiture of the state of the proceeds and instrumentalities of crime. Both share common two-fold rationales.”

Arguing further, he stressed that, “Recall that appellant filed his notice of appeal against the well-considered judgment of the Federal High Court which was equally dismissed by the Court of Appeal on May 31, 2019, having found that the appellant failed to show that the said funds are not proceeds of crime.

“Further to the background of the matter, the EFCC carried out investigations which revealed among others, that the sum of N3.5bn was fraudulently paid to the appellant to carry out a consultancy job for the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, under the guise that the appellant carried out a consultancy job for the NGF entitling it to the money when it did not do any such work. The appellant made several withdrawals within a short time leaving N1,222,384,857.84 before the EFCC intervened.

“Further investigation led to the recovery of an additional sum of N220m which the appellant had paid to WASP Networks Ltd and Thebe Wellness Services”.

After listening to all the submissions, the five-man panel of the apex court reserved judgment on the matter till June 7, 2024.

Metro

Court Jails Football Coach For Sodomising Minor Player

Published

5 hours ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

A Kano State High Court has sentenced a football coach, Hayatu Muhammad, to eight years in prison for sodomising one of his underage players.

The presiding judge, Justice Musa Dahuru Muhammad, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, sentencing Hayatu without the option of a fine.

According to the prosecution, the coach, who lives in Sanka area of Kano metropolis, committed the offence twice in different locations. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.

To prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, the state counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, presented five witnesses who testified against the defendant.

In his defense, Hayatu took the witness stand alone.

The prosecution stated that his action violated Section 284 of the Penal Code Law, which criminalises sodomy.

After reviewing all the evidence and witness statements, Justice Dahuru ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved the case.

He sentenced Hayatu to four years in prison on each of the two counts, to run concurrently — meaning he will serve a total of eight years starting from the day of the judgment.

Metro

Lagos Fire Service Rescues Woman From 60-foot Well In Ikorodu

Published

6 hours ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has saved a 32-year-old woman who accidentally fell into an uncovered well approximately 60 feet deep at No. 14 Mustapha Bolatiwa Street, off Agric Bus Stop, in the Ikorodu area of the state.

The incident, which drew a large crowd of onlookers, was described by residents as “nothing short of a miracle.”

Eyewitnesses said the woman, whose identity had not been immediately confirmed, reportedly wandered from a nearby compound and was seated on the edge of the well before losing balance and falling in.

Following a distress call, operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived swiftly and launched a well-coordinated rescue operation.

Confirming the incident, the Director of the agency, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, said the woman was pulled out alive after a tense and delicate rescue effort.

“She was immediately stabilised and transported to a nearby hospital for further medical care,” Adeseye said.

She cautioned residents to ensure all open wells and similar structures are securely covered to prevent avoidable accidents.

Adeseye also praised the professionalism and prompt response of her team, reaffirming the agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property across Lagos State.

Metro

DSS Arrests Two Dismissed Officers Over Impersonation, Fraud

Published

6 hours ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services, DSS, has arrested two dismissed officers, Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, accused of impersonating the Service to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.

The DSS, in a statement issued on Wednesday, confirmed that both individuals, earlier declared wanted in separate public warnings, have been arrested and will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“The Department of State Services recently issued disclaimers on two dismissed personnel of the Service, Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin. These individuals were alleged to be cloaking under the Service to engage in fraudulent activities.

“The public is hereby notified that these culprits have been apprehended and will face prosecution in accordance with the law,” the Service said.

This comes after a series of alerts by the DSS warning Nigerians against dealing with the former officers dismissed for misconduct but still parading themselves as active operatives.

Recall that the secret police had raised the alarm over the activities of Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, accusing him of using the DSS name to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

In the same vein, on October 8, a separate statement was issued concerning Barry Donald, another dismissed officer alleged to be impersonating the agency for fraudulent purposes.

The DSS said it remains committed to protecting Nigerians from impostors and maintaining public trust in the Service. It also revealed plans to publish the names of other previously dismissed personnel to prevent citizens from falling victim to similar schemes.

The DSS urged members of the public to verify all official engagements through its verified communication channels and to report any suspicious activities involving persons claiming to represent the Service.