The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
on Monday arraigned a former Niger Delta
militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias
Tompolo, in absentia on 22 counts of fraud
amounting to N47.6bn.
Also arraigned in absentia in relation to the
alleged fraud were six brothers of a former
Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and
Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi – Igo,
Julius, Victor, Norbert, Emmanuel and Clement.
Tompolo, Igo, Julius, Victor, Norbert, Emmanuel
and Clement were declared as being “now at
large” when the charges were read before a
Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday.
But Akpobolokemi himself, two females,
Josephine Otuaga and Rita Uruakpa and one
Kime Engozu, who were also listed as
defendants in the amended charge, were present
in court on Monday to answer to the charges.
The other defendants in the charge were six
companies, namely: Mieka Dive Training Institute
Ltd./GTE; Oyeinteke Global Network Ltd.; Wabod
Global Resources Ltd.; Boloboere Properties
Estate Ltd.; Gokaid Marine Oil and Gas Ltd.; and
Watershed Associated Resources.
The charges bordered on conspiracy, advanced
fee fraud and money laundering.
In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that the
defendants conspired among themselves to
defraud the Federal Government between
December 2, 2014 and April 10, 2015, by inducing
the Federal Government to deliver N11.9bn to
them.
The EFCC claimed that the accused persons
induced the Federal Government by “falsely
pretending to the Federal Government that a
parcel of land and its appurtenances situated at
Mieka Dive Training Institute, Kurutie, Warri
South-West Local Government Area of Delta
State had been acquired by NIMASA for the
temporary campus of the Nigerian Maritime
University, Okerenkoko.”
By allegedly making fraudulent and false
representations to the Federal Government, the
EFCC said the defendants violated Section 1 (b)
of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other fraud
related offences Act, 2006 and were liable to
punishment under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
In another count, the EFCC accused the
defendants of fraudulently converting
N13,027,564,822 belonging to NIMASA to theirs
in 2014.
The offence is said to be contrary to Section 18
(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition)
(Amendment) Act, 2012.
The defendants were also accused of swindling
the Federal Government to the tune of
N11.940bn, by presenting a forged Certificate of
Customary Right of Occupancy of Bendel State
of Nigeria, dated May 6, 2014, to NIMASA on the
false claim that the forged document was
genuine and issued by the Warri South-West
Local Council, Delta State.
For the alleged offence, the EFCC said the
defendants were liable to being punished under
Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offences
Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
But Akpobolokemi and his alleged accomplices
pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The presiding judge, Justice Ibrahim Buba,
subsequently admitted them to bail.
Akpobolokemi, who had earlier been arraigned
along with others by the EFCC at two different
times before Justice Buba, was allowed to
continue with a bail granted him by the judge on
March 22, 2016.
The 2nd defendant, Engozu, who had also been
earlier arraigned, was also allowed to continue
with the bail granted him on March 22, 2016.
The 3rd and 4th defendants, – Otuaga and
Uruakpa – were granted a N50m bail each with
one surety in like sum.
The judge said the surety must be resident in
Lagos and must own a developed landed
property and swear to an affidavit of means.
The defendants and the sureties were asked to
submit their passport photographs to the court.
Further proceedings in the case were adjourned
till May 30 and 31, 2016.
