Justice Muhammad Maina of the Borno State High Court, Maiduguri on Friday, November 14, 2025 convicted and sentenced Bukar Umar Alhaji to two years imprisonment.
Alhaji was first arraigned on November 27, 2024 by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC , on a two count charge for the offence of obtaining by false pretence and criminal misappropriation to the tune of N2,100,000.00 (Two Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira).
Count two reads: “That you, Bukar Umar Alhaji, with National Identification Number (NIN) 9584243514 and Babagoni Umar (now at large), sometime in March, 2022 in Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly misappropriated and converted to your own use the aggregate sum of N2,100,000.00 (Two Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira), belonging to Ibrahim Ismai’l under the guise that the said money is for the sale of two plots of land to him, situates at Mafa Local Government area of Borno State, the land which you knew does not belong to you and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Borno State Penal Code Law Cap 102 1994 and punishable under Section 309 of the same Law.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty and the matter proceeded into trial where prosecution counsel Faruku Muhammad presented six witnesses and tendered four exhibits in proof of the EFCC case against the defendant.
Thereafter, Justice Maina in a judgment convicted and sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment for the offence of criminal misappropriation with an option of fine of N200, 000.00 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira).
The judge further ordered the convict to pay the balance of N750, 000 (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) to his victim.
The convict’s journey to the correctional facility started when he sold two plots of land not belonging to him to his victim and refused to refund the money to him.
Media & Publicity
November 15, 2025
EFCC, NCC Deepen Synergy against Piracy, Intellectual Property Theft in South-East
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC have resolved to deepen their partnership against piracy and intellectual theft in a bid to make them unprofitable and protect the creative economy in the south-east.
This resolution was made on Wednesday, November 12, 2025 when the Enugu State Coordinator of NCC, Mr. Macfoy Akachukwu paid a courtesy visit to the EFCC Enugu Zonal Director, Commander of the EFCC, CE Daniel Isei in his office.
While appreciating that the two agencies have collaborated over the years in many ways, including freezing of assets, Akachukwu said that pirated works are used to launder money and sometimes, the money ends up in the hands of terrorists.
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“Our visit here today is in furtherance of the collaboration between the EFCC and the NCC. Because of the MoU the two agencies signed, in some of our cases, the EFCC has always helped us in ensuring that they make available detention facilities to us and we collaborate in terms of freezing of assets. Nobody has ever thought that pirated works are used to launder money. People travel outside the country, get involved in drug related -crimes and they will use the money to make pirated copies of major publishers and get them shipped here. By doing so, they are laundering money”.
He thereafter sought for more support, adding that the essence of the visit was to strengthen the synergy between the two agencies. “Anytime we call upon you, please, continue to assist us”, he said.
Responding, Isei noted that piracy is a predicate offence to money laundering and as such the synergy between the two agencies must be deepened for the interest of the people of south-east and the country at large.
“If it is on the basis of information sharing, we’re ready to receive, we’re ready to give. If it is on the basis of investigation, we are ready to support in any way we can support. We cannot underestimate the danger that piracy does to our economy. What we, at the EFCC stand for is to have an economy that is resilient, an economy that is enduring and sustaining and that is why the issue of piracy is important for us to deal with. What intellectual property theft does to people is unimaginable”, he said.
While lamenting on the need for close collaboration between the two agencies, the Zonal Director noted that collaboration is anchored on all that the EFCC does. “One of the core values of EFCC is collaboration, so it is anchored in all we do. We are very big when it comes to collaboration, that is why we are not in any way in doubt that the point of collaboration is very critical to what we do in EFCC”, he said.
He thereafter assured Akachukwu of the Commission’s unalloyed support in putting an end to piracy and intellectual theft in the south-east.
Media & Publicity
November 15, 2025
8.5bn Fraud: Court Jails Two Fraudsters to Two Years’ Imprisonment in Lagos
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, convicted and sentenced the duo of Hamza Zakaria and Nurudeen Mohammed Ibrahim to two years and two months’ imprisonment for their roles in an ₦8.56 billion fraud involving unauthorized access to a new-generation bank’s computer systems.
Zakaria and Ibrahim were initially arraigned on May 2, 2025, alongside other defendants, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and unauthorized access to a computer system, contrary to Sections 409 and 331 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Count One reads that : “HAMZA ZAKARIA AND NURUDEEN MOHAMMED IBRAHIM and other persons at large, sometime in January 2025 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to transfer and otherwise retain criminal proceeds from unauthorized access to Wema Bank’s computer and servers.”
Count Two reads that : “HAMZA ZAKARIA AND NURUDEEN MOHAMMED IBRAHIM and other persons at large, sometime in January 2025 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, transferred and otherwise retained control of ₦24,890,000 paid into Exact Group Limited account number 0121622626 domiciled with Wema Bank — money which formed part of ₦8,568,090,500 (Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million, Ninety Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) stolen from other domiciled accounts with Wema Bank Nigeria Plc through unauthorized access to their computer and server.”
They pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.
However, on Friday, November 14, 2025, the defendants changed their plea to guilty following the presentation of amended charges, prompting the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.
While reviewing facts of the case, prosecuting counsel, M.K. Bashir called witness Airende Monday, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He addressed the court on the charges preferred against the defendants. Several documents were tendered and admitted as exhibits.
Delivering judgment, Justice Oshodi stated: “I find the defendants guilty in the two-count amended information, and I convict them accordingly. This is the judgment of the court.”
He sentenced them to eight months’ imprisonment on count one and one year and six months’ imprisonment on count two. Both sentences are to run concurrently. The sentence came with an option of fine of ₦50,000
The convicts bagged their imprisonment when they were arrested for hacking into the system of a new generation bank and made away with the sum of ₦8,568,090,500 (Eight Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million, Ninety Thousand, Five Hundred Naira). They were charged to court and convicted.
Media & Publicity
November 18, 2025
£15,000 Fraud: Man Bags 50-Year Jail Term in Lagos
Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, convicted and sentenced one Osaibovo Charles to a total of 50 years’ imprisonment for offences bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, stealing, possession of fraudulent documents and money laundering.
Charles was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate I of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge bordering on the fraudulent collection of £15,000 from one Miss Shenika Garati.
He deceived the victim by impersonating a popular Nigerian actor, Fredrick Leonard, claiming the funds were needed for a movie production in Nigeria.
One of the charges read that : “Charles Osaigbovo and Charles Evans Osaigbovo (deceased), in June 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of £38,000 (Thirty-Eight Thousand Pounds) by false pretence from Miss Shenika Garati.”
Another count reads : “Osaibovo Charles, sometime between February and August 2022, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, transferred the aggregate sum of £15,000 (Fifteen Thousand Pounds) derived directly from your illegal activity by concealing the illegal origin of the same.”
Charles pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to them, prompting a full trial.
The prosecution, led by T.J. Banjo called two witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence while the defence called one witness.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ijelu held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
“Having reviewed the evidence, the court is satisfied that the prosecution has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. The defendant is found guilty as charged,” the judge ruled.
The sentencing was as follows: on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, he was jailed 14 years; for obtaining money by false pretence, 14 years; and for stealing, 5 years.
Other sentences include 14 years for possession of fraudulent documents and 3 years for money laundering. All sentences were without an option of fine.
Meanwhile, Charles was discharged and acquitted on the count of retention of proceeds of crime.
All the sentences are to run concurrently, amounting to a total of 50 years’ imprisonment.
The court also ordered restitution of £15,000 to the victim, Miss Shenika Garati.
Media & Publicity
November 18, 2025
EFCC Arraigns Lawyer for False Information
The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned a lawyer, Steve Adamu before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna State on a one-count charge of false information peddling.
The charge reads: “That you Barrister Steve Adamu (m) on or about the 15th day of September, 2022 in Kaduna, Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court, committed an offence to wit: wilfully gave false information to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which information was used to carry out investigation on your complaint to the Commission, which information you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 16(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 16(2) of the same Act.
He pleaded “not guilty”, prompting the prosecution counsel, M.E. Eimonye to ask the court for a trial date, while the defence counsel urged the court to grant the defendant bail.
Justice Khobo, thereafter, ordered for the remand of the defendant in the Nigerian Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till December 20, 2025 for hearing of the bail application.
The defendant’s road to the dock began with his petition to the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, in which he had alleged that his landlord had no visible means of livelihood, yet continually acquired costly automobiles and developed landed properties, all about town. However, investigations by the Commission proved the allegations to be false and malicious, prompting his arrest and prosecution.
Media & Publicity
November 18, 2025
SANWO-OLU CONGRATULATES WAHID OSHODI ON RE-ELECTION AS ITTF VICE PRESIDENT
The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated the President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Wahid Enitan Oshodi, on his re-election as the Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a congratulatory statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Gboyega Akosile, said the re-election of Oshodi as Executive Vice President of ITTF is a testament to his leadership qualities and hard work during his first term.
Oshodi was re-elected as Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) during the continuation of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) held online on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said Oshodi, as the President of ATTF and Executive Vice President of ITTF, has done very well, and his performance in office earned the confidence of his colleagues and other stakeholders to re-elect him for another term.
He said, “On behalf of my family, the government and the people of Lagos State, I rejoice with a worthy citizen of our dear State, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, on his re-election as the Executive Vice President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
“I believe strongly that Oshodi’s re-election as Vice President of ITTF is good news to us in Lagos, Nigeria, and Africa at large, considering the fact that he emerged among the top seven from the United States of America, China, Turkey, Australia, Ecuador, Romania and Jordan.
“He deserves to be re-elected having distinguished himself in the office of the Vice President of ITTF and in several positions he has occupied in the past at the state, national, continental and international levels.
“Oshodi has contributed immensely to the development of sports and table tennis in particular for many years and has displayed exemplary leadership and managerial skills in several positions he has held.
“We are proud of him, and we believe that he will use his position at the continental and international levels to lift the fortunes of table tennis in Nigeria and Africa and raise the bar of the sport to compete with the rest of the world.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
18 NOVEMBER 2025
