Skip to main content

Money Laundering: Court Orders Congolese Bizman To Forfeit $700,000 To Federal Government of Nigeria


Justice Rilwan M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has ordered the forfeiture of the sum of $700,000 out of the $1, 909,140 laundered by a businessman, Ani Paulinus Onyeka, to the Federal Government.
Onyeka was arrested on February 23, 2014 with the sum of $1, 909,140 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport by men of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The judge had, on October 25, 2017, ordered Onyeka's arrest for failing to appear to answer to a two-count charge of money laundering preferred against him by the EFCC.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, December 6, 2017, Onyeka admitted to have committed the offence.
In his address, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, said the defendant disclosed in his statement that the money was given to him by one Ikechukwu Frank for one Jude Okoye.
Oyedepo further told the court that Onyeka was arrested by men of the NCS while attempting to deliver the money without going through any financial institution.
The EFCC counsel, who also showed the court a copy of a letter from the Central Bank of Nigeria,CBN, showing that the money is in its custody, further told the court that the Commission had signed a plea bargain agreement dated December 4, 2017, with the accused person.
He, therefore, urged the court to convict the defendant in view of his plea.
Consequently, Justice Aikawa ordered that the businessman should forfeit the sum of $700, 000 to the Federal Government out of the seized money.
Onyeka was given an option of $50, 000 fine, while he was ordered to forfeit the sum of $650, 000 to the Federal Government.
The judge further held that the money to be paid from the recovered $1, 909,140 should be credited to the Consolidated Funds of the federation.
"The remaining sum of $1, 209, 140 should be released to the defendant through a designated financial institution in strict compliance with the provisions of Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, as amended.
 "The defendant shall, within seven days after the payment of the fine imposed by the court, enter into a bond with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) never to be involved in economic and financial crimes within and outside the shores of Nigeria,” the judge further said.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scores escape death as truck rams into vehicles in Abuja

Many people escaped death on Tuesday, September 8, in Kubwa, Abuja, when a tipper truck rammed into several vehicles.    The crash which occurred at Central market in Kubwa, at about 11 am, left many vehicles damaged. According to one of the survivors, Ngozichukwu, the truck suffered brake failure. and rammed into the vehicles with occupants.   "This tipper failed break and was hitting many cars..... I thought more than 20persons have lost their lives already, people were crying shouting JESUS JESUS  but God was just too much, too kind, too merciful because there was no serious injury and no life was lost.," she narrated.   I don't know how i survived, i thought i was dead i don't know how i survive was all those involved could say( it was indeed a miracle)    It happend exactly infront of central market but God wagged it with diffrent cars and building in order to save lives.Thank You Jesus"     
Post a Comment
Read more

Presidential Task Force warns against hasty reopening of schools

  Boss The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Nigeria has warned states against rushing to reopen schools saying such action have escalated COVID-19 management situation in some other countries.   Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the PTF, Boss Mustapha, speaking on Monday August 31 in Abuja said it would be in the best interest of Nigeria to stick to it's slow phased easing of lockdown rules because it was effective.  “It is in the above context that the PTF appreciates the on-going calls for re-opening of the education sector and indeed some sub-nationals are already making preparations for such.' Boss Mustapha said. “Whilst the PTF does not discourage making such preparations, we need to be guided by experiences from countries such as Germany, France, the United States and the UK where opening of schools in some cities led to an increase in confirmed cases and fatalities.”   He also said more sectors of the eco...
Post a Comment
Read more

Photos of the 22-year-old woman mauled to death by a lion in South Africa

-year-old Megan van der Zwan was mauled to death by a lioness in a game reserve near Hammanskraal, South Africa on February, 27. The former student at the University of Pretoria, had accompanied her friend to conduct an interview for an assignment at the Kevin Richardson’s Wildlife Sanctuary, located at the Welgedacht Private Game Reserve outside Pretoria. Police spokesperson Constable Connie Mohanedi said the lioness attacked the pair as they were approaching their car to leave. Mohanedi said an inquest docket was opened, but would not give much information “as the investigation is at a “sensitive stage”. According to reports Megan and her friend were visiting the game reserve belonging to "lion whisperer" Kevin Richardson. They wanted to interview the camp manager. Kevin says they were taking pictures outside the camp when the attack occurred. He says he and one of his experienced colleagues were talking the lions one of their regular weekly walks throu...
Post a Comment
Read more