EFCC Arraign Nyako For N29bn; Ohakim For N270m

EFCC has arraigned former governors of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako, and Imo State of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, before the Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged fraud charges on Wednesday.

Nyako, who was removed as Adamawa State Governor by the state House of Assembly on July 15, 2014, was arraigned along with his son, Abdul-Aziz who is also the senator representing Adamawa Central in the National Assembly, and others as well as five firms for fraud amounting to N29,099,430,879.92 (N29bn).

The prosecution alleged that between February 2011 and December 2014, the accused persons “collaborated in disguising the genuine origin” of a total of N24.725bn said to have been “derived from cheques issued in the name of Special Services Department/Mary P. and illegally placed under the control of Ma’aji Iro, the then Regional Manager of Zenith Bank Plc, North-East, Nigeria.

Simultaneously, the EFCC also arraigned Ohakim, who was governor of Imo State between May 2007 and May 2011, on three counts of money laundering. He was accused of making cash payment of $2,290,000 (an equivalent of N270,000,000) for the purchase of a property at 60, Kwame Nkrumah Street, at Plot No 1098, Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, Abuja.

He pleaded not guilty to the three counts of money laundering charges involving alleged making cash payment of $2,290,000 (an equivalent of N270m) for the purchase of a property at 60, Kwame Nkrumah Street, at Plot No 1,098, Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, Abuja.

The former governor, who was accused of making the cash payment in November 2008, was also accused of collaborating with Tweenex Consociates H.D. Ltd. to conceal or disguise the ownership of the property which was allegedly derived from an illegal act.

The fraud was allegedly perpetrated by the former governor “by instructing the drafting and signing of a sales agreement over the said property between one Mukhtari Isa Maidabino and Tweenex Consciates H.D. Limited and also a tenancy agreement between Tweenex Consociates H.D. Ltd. and Chief Ikedi Ohakim over the same property” on November 14, 2008.

Ohakim was also accused of failing to make a full disclosure of his assets by not declaring his ownership of the said property while he was under arrest by the EFCC on January 26, 2013.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola also adjourned hearing of Ohakim's bail application filed by Ohakim, who is being prosecuted by Festus Keyamo, till Thursday(today).

In the separate proceedings, Justice Chukwu and Justice Ademola ordered the accused persons to be remanded in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of their bail applications.

Source : NAN and Punch