EFCC Arraigned Tompolo in Absentia

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.