The trouble began for the auto dealer following a petition from a buyer who claimed he paid Ogbonna the ₦15.4 million in October 2023 to assist him in importing three cars. Upon receiving the substantial sum, the defendant promised to deliver the vehicles on or before Christmas Day, December 25, 2023. However, instead of delivering the cars or returning the money, Ogbonna allegedly converted the funds to his personal use, leaving the buyer stranded.

The court charges detailed how the money was systematically diverted. Count one states that in September 2023, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Enugu State, Ogbonna fraudulently converted ₦4,000,000 belonging to Mr. Paulson Nwakoby, which was meant for the vehicle purchase. Count two details another ₦4,000,000 fraudulently converted between November 28 and December 10, 2023. These actions violate Section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Enugu State, and are punishable under Section 353 (1) of the same law.

Appearing in court, the defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all charges read to him. In view of the plea, EFCC counsel and Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Rotimi Ajobiewe, prayed the court for a definitive trial date and requested that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Enugu. Justice Ezeugwu subsequently adjourned the matter to July 16, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Ogbonna be remanded at the EFCC’s holding facility in the interim.

The post How Enugu Auto Dealer Chukwuebuka Ogbonna Allegedly Pocketed ₦15.4m Meant for Importation appeared first on Business Today NG.

Bodejo faces a 12-count charge bordering on money laundering and operating outside established financial banking frameworks.

During Thursday’s court proceedings, prosecution counsel Wahab Shittu, SAN, introduced the 12-count charge application dated June 24, 2026, and filed on June 25, 2026. He requested that the court allow the defendant to take his plea, a motion that was granted by Justice Ekwo.

According to the charge sheet, the offenses involve significant physical cash transactions that bypassed statutory thresholds. Count one alleges that on January 11, 2022, in Abuja, Bodejo willfully and unlawfully accepted a physical cash payment of $100,000 from Sa’idu Abubakar, a former Accountant-General of Bauchi State who is currently in police custody. This transaction violated Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended), by exceeding the statutory cash transaction limit of ₦5,000,000 without passing through a financial institution.

Similarly, count four of the charge states that on February 7, 2024, Bodejo accepted another physical cash payment of $980,000 from the same former Bauchi State Accountant-General, breaching Section 2(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Bodejo pleaded “not guilty” to all 12 counts. Following the plea, the prosecution counsel requested a definitive trial date and asked that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility.

Conversely, the defense counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, urged the court to grant his client bail, referencing a bail application filed on June 30, 2026.

The prosecution strongly opposed the bail application, presenting a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit dated July 6, 2026. Shittu argued that the defendant poses a public risk, noting that the Department of State Services (DSS) maintains a watch on him. He further argued that due to Bodejo’s influential status, he could potentially compromise witnesses and interfere with the progress of the trial.

Justice Ekwo ordered that the defendant be remanded in the EFCC’s holding facility and adjourned the matter until July 20, 2026, for a ruling on the bail application.

The post 2.33m Fraud: Miyetti Allah Leader Bello Bodejo Remanded in EFCC Custody appeared first on Business Today NG.

The anti-graft agency has been given a strict 30-day ultimatum to conclude its inquiries and submit a comprehensive dossier to the presidency regarding the sham organization, which has no legal foundation, executive endorsement, or official backing from the federal government.

The security breach came to light after an individual, identified as Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, allegedly paraded himself as the director-general of the non-existent council, falsely claiming to have received a direct presidential appointment.

The investigation will zero in on the fabrication of state documentation, the illicit procurement of diplomatic endorsements and international travel visas, and the fraudulent opening of several commercial bank accounts under the guise of state ministries.

President Tinubu directed investigators to uncover how the deception managed to acquire an aura of administrative legitimacy, mandating a thorough review of banking records, financial flows, and the potential complicity of public servants, private individuals, or intermediary financial firms.

The executive directive also tasked the anti-corruption body with diagnosing procedural vulnerabilities within state organs that were weaponized by the syndicate, ensuring swift structural corrections are implemented to prevent future institutional impersonation and forgery.

The post Tinubu Orders ICPC to Probe Fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Council appeared first on Business Today NG.

The witness, Okpoziakpo Eloho, a Commissioner of Police attached to the Force Headquarters’ Fraud Unit, testified as the 14th prosecution witness. Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), he told the court that the funds were approved by Emefiele and fully disbursed.

According to Eloho, investigations carried out by his team showed that the stated purpose of the payment was merely a cover for fraud. He described the transaction as “pure theft” and alleged that the money was obtained under false pretences rather than being used for any legitimate election observer assignment.

The witness identified a presidential directive admitted as Exhibit PD5 and said investigators concluded that the document was used to facilitate the alleged fraud. He added that the investigative team recovered about $800,000 from the funds during the course of its investigation.

During cross-examination by defence counsel, Matthew Burka (SAN), Eloho acknowledged that, as CBN governor at the time, Emefiele had authority over the bank’s funds. He also confirmed that investigators reviewed several documentary exhibits tendered before the court.

He further testified that former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, was interviewed during the investigation. According to the witness, Mustapha denied that a signature appearing on one of the documents presented as evidence belonged to him.

Eloho also claimed that the individual who collected the $6.23 million was identified as Jibril Abubakar. However, he told the court that investigations revealed the identity card used by the individual did not belong to a staff member of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, contrary to what the document suggested.

Responding to questions on whether the funds were released in line with established procedures, the witness said due process was not followed. He explained that although the instruction originated from the CBN governor to the Director of Banking Services, the normal approval process should have passed through the deputy governor before execution.

Following the day’s proceedings, Justice Muazu adjourned the matter until July 3, 2026, for the continuation of trial.

The post Emefiele Trial: Witness Tells Court $6.23m Released for Foreign Election Observer Mission Was ‘Pure Theft’ appeared first on Business Today NG.

The amended charge, filed in Charge No. FHC/KD/93C/2026, before Honourable Justice Hauwa’u Buhari of Federal High Court Kaduna, named Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai as the 1st defendant alongside Mr. Jimi Adebisi Lawal, Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited.

Bashir El-Rufai (an elder brother of the former governor), who is currently at large, is also mentioned in one of the counts.

According to the amended charge, the Commission alleged that Mallam El-Rufai, while serving as Governor of Kaduna State, unlawfully approved the award of a contract for the procurement, survey planning, final design and installation of a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system in Kaduna Metropolis in the reviewed sum of ₦8,682,574,054.94 to Singularity Network Security Limited, contrary to public procurement laws, a company alleged to lack the requisite experience and qualifications.

The Commission further alleged that proceeds arising from the said unlawful act were subsequently transferred through various companies and individuals.

The amended charge contains several counts relating to the alleged possession, receipt and movement of funds reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, involving sums running into billions of naira.

The offences are alleged to be contrary to the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Count One reads:

‘’That you, MALLAM NASIR AHMAD EL-RUFAI (M) sometime in December, 2015 or thereabout at Kaduna, Kaduna State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being the Executive Governor of Kaduna State aided an act of corruption, when you approved the award of contract for the procurement of survey planning, final design and installation of CCTV at Kaduna metropolis in the reviewed sum of N8,682,574,054.94 (Eight Billion, Six Hundred and Eighty-Two Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Four Thousand, Fifty-Four Naira, Ninety-Four Kobo) to Messrs. Singularity Network Security Limited, a company with no requisite experience and in violation of procurement laws, which act you knew was unlawful and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21(a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition)Act, 2022.’’

Specifically, the amended charge alleged that the defendants knowingly received or took possession of funds amounting to over ₦2 billion through various transactions involving Singularity Network Security Limited, Solar Life Nigeria Limited, Knowledge Investment Nigeria Limited, Intercellular Nigeria Limited and Noble Coast Resources Limited between 2017 and 2022.

Both Mallam El-Rufai and Lawal pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.

The matter was then adjourned for 1st July, 2026 for ruling on the bail application.

The post ICPC Arraigns El-Rufai, Jimi Lawal, in 11-Count Amended Charge Over N8.68bn CCTV Contract appeared first on Business Today NG.

The anti-corruption agency told the court that the defendant received N4.55 million from Igbo Christian Okechukwu after promising to secure employment opportunities in the NSCDC for seven individuals.

The case was heard by Justice Ngozika Nwabulu, who examined documentary exhibits and witness testimonies presented by the prosecution to establish the allegations against the senior officer.

According to the charge, Barde collected the money in Abuja in 2017 while serving in the office of the NSCDC Commandant General. Prosecutors argued that the payment was accepted as an inducement to facilitate recruitment into the paramilitary agency, an act that contravenes provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
After reviewing the evidence, Justice Nwabulu found the defendant guilty and imposed a 12-month prison sentence. The court, however, gave him the option of paying a N4 million fine in place of serving the jail term.
Commenting on the judgment, the ICPC described the conviction as a significant step in its efforts to combat corruption and ensure that public officials who abuse their positions are held accountable.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to strengthening transparency, integrity, and accountability within public institutions across the country. It also urged government workers and members of the public to adhere to ethical conduct and respect the rule of law.
The anti-graft agency further assured Nigerians that it would continue to employ all legal means to prevent, investigate, and prosecute acts of corruption wherever they occur.

The post Court Jails NSCDC Officer for Collecting N4.55m in Fake Recruitment Scam appeared first on Business Today NG.

Ayeni was re-arraigned on an amended 18-count charge bordering on alleged criminal breach of trust, misappropriation, and diversion of funds amounting to N15.6 billion following the EFCC`s submission of additional proof of evidence.

At Monday`s proceedings,  prosecution counsel,  Abba Muhammed SAN, informed the court of an amended charge and additional proof of evidence filed on June 22, 2026.

In response,  defence counsel,  Abdul Mohammed SAN confirmed that he was duly served with the charge.

Count three of the charge reads  “That you Tunde Ayeni, whilst being the Chairman, Board of Directors of the defunct Skye Bank Plc (now Polaris Bank Limited) on or about the 18th of September, 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and having dominion over depositors’ funds domiciled in the defunct Skye Bank Plc’s Suspense Account, committed criminal breach of trust when you dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Five Hundred and Ten Million Naira (510,000,000) by transferring same to Capital Field Investment Group Limited’s account No:1770125552 domiciled with Skye Bank in violation of the defunct Skye Bank Plc Operational Policy Manual  and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 312 of Same Act.”

Count five also reads, “That you Tunde Ayeni, whilst being the Chairman, Board of Directors of the defunct Skye Bank Plc (now Polaris Bank Limited) on or about the 23rd September, 2014 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court and having dominion over depositors’ funds domiciled in the defunct Skye Bank Plc’s Suspense Account, committed criminal breach of trust when you dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Six Hundred Million Naira (N600,000,000) by transferring same to Harigold Ventures Limited’s account No:0000834983 domiciled with Sterling Bank in violation of the defunct Skye Bank Plc Operational Policy Manual  and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and punishable under Section 312 of Same Act.”

He pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to him.

Ayeni was first arraigned on May 4, 2026 on a 17-count charge.

Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter till July 6, 2026, for commencement of trial.

The post Alleged N15.6bn Fraud: EFCC re-arraigns Ex-Skye Bank MD appeared first on Business Today NG.

The defendant is facing a two-count charge filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of N36 million.

During the hearing of the bail application, counsel to the defendant, P.I. Nwafuru, urged the court to grant his client bail on the most liberal terms.

Opposing the application, prosecution counsel, S.I. Suleiman, informed the court that the EFCC had filed a 28-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by the investigating officer, Bufa Regina Okangbe, on May 29, 2026.

“We rely on all the depositions contained therein and the exhibits attached. At some point during the course of the investigation, the defendant stopped honouring invitations extended to her by the Commission.

We urge Your Lordship not to accede to the request of the defence and instead order an accelerated hearing of the matter,” Suleiman submitted.

After listening to arguments from both parties, Justice Dipeolu reserved ruling on the bail application until June 9, 2026.

Earlier in the proceedings, the prosecution presented its first witness, Bufa Regina Okangbe, an investigator with the EFCC. She narrated a trail of bank transactions, property records, and witness statements that allegedly revealed how the defendant received N36 million from the petitioner for a property she did not own.

According to Okangbe, the Commission received a petition which was assigned to her team for investigation. She stated that a Bank Verification Number (BVN) search conducted on the defendant revealed several bank accounts linked to her.

“Following this, letters of investigation were sent to the banks, while another letter was forwarded to the Lagos State Land Bureau to determine whether the property belonged to the defendant.

“The Commission also wrote to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) regarding the defendant’s company, Break or Makeup Limited.

“After analysing the defendant’s statements of account, she was invited to the Commission’s office and confronted with transactions traced to her and the petitioner.”

The witness further testified that the defendant made statements under caution in the presence of her lawyer and husband, admitting that the petitioner paid her the sum of N30 million.

Okangbe told the court that the response from the Lagos State Land Bureau revealed that the property in question did not belong to the defendant but to one Mr. Tunbosun Osobu.

“The Commission invited Mr. Osobu, who appeared with his lawyer and son. He confirmed that he had leased the property to the defendant for three years and that the lease expired in 2023 before it was renewed in 2025,” she stated.

The witness also informed the court that the petitioner submitted the lease agreement executed between the petitioner and the defendant, along with a tenancy acquisition form.

During the proceedings, prosecution counsel Suleiman sought to tender several documents through the witness, including the petition dated February 18, 2025; statements made by the defendant on December 10, 11, 12, and 16, 2025; the tenancy acquisition form submitted by the petitioner’s lawyer; the petitioner’s Zenith Bank statement of account in the name of Pipes and Barrel Limited; and the defendant’s GTBank and Access Bank statements.

The post N36m Fraud: Blessing CEO’s Bail Ruling Set for June 9 appeared first on Business Today NG.

The ANPA Carolinas Symposium, hosted annually by the South Carolina and North Carolina Chapters of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), convenes over 170 physicians and healthcare professionals for medical and scientific dialogue on issues impacting communities across North America, the Caribbean, and Africa, particularly among people of Nigerian descent.

Speaking at the event, UBA’s Head of Diaspora Banking, Anant Rao, made a compelling case for structured diaspora participation in Nigeria’s healthcare transformation, encouraging attendees to expand their contribution beyond remittances toward long-term institution-building.

“The financial infrastructure required to connect your success abroad to sustainable institutional impact at home has not been intentionally designed for diaspora healthcare investors until now,” Rao said.

During his presentation, Rao introduced the ANPA–UBA Diaspora Healthcare Investment Platform — a professionally managed investment vehicle designed to channel diaspora capital into specialist hospitals, diagnostic centres, telemedicine infrastructure, and medical training institutions across Nigeria.

“Every dollar invested delivers a dual return — creating value for investors while contributing meaningfully to Nigeria’s healthcare future. We now have the regulatory framework, banking infrastructure, governance structures, and institutional commitment to make this possible,” he added.

Under the proposed structure, UBA will serve as custodian and structuring bank, while United Capital Asset Management, one of Nigeria’s leading asset managers with over ₦1.2 trillion in assets under management, will act as fund manager.

As part of deepening engagement with the Nigerian-American medical community, Rao also proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UBA and the two ANPA chapters. The proposed collaboration is anchored on six strategic pillars: preferred banking offerings for ANPA members; quarterly financial education sessions; the joint Healthcare Infrastructure Fund; a dedicated ANPA Wealth and Legacy Desk; access to group-rate family healthcare plans through Avon HMO; and a UBA co-matching contribution framework to support qualifying impact vehicles under the Pearl Endowment Fund.

The initiative represents a further expansion of UBA’s diaspora value proposition, which currently includes Non-Resident Nigerian (NRN) accounts in multiple currencies, fixed-income and dollar-denominated investment solutions through United Capital, elder-care trust solutions under the Homeland Anchor Care Trust programme in partnership with Avon HMO, and private wealth management offerings tailored to senior diaspora professionals.

The 2026 ANPA Carolinas Symposium marks another milestone in UBA’s strategic engagement with the diaspora community and reinforces the Bank’s long-held belief that diaspora capital can play a transformative role in accelerating healthcare and infrastructure development across Africa.

The post UBA Champions Diaspora Healthcare Investment at ANPA America Symposium appeared first on Business Today NG.

Mamman was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday, May 19, 2026 following weeks of intensive surveillance and intelligence gathering by operatives of the Commission.

Addressing journalists on the arrest, Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, disclosed that the former minister went underground after he was convicted by the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on corruption charges.

“On May 7, 2026, Justice James Omotosho found Mamman guilty on all 12 counts bordering on diversion of funds meant for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects. The court convicted him in absentia after agreeing with the Commission that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

“For us, getting the convict to serve his jail terms is extremely important in view of the seriousness with which we are tackling corrupt practices. It is this resolve that made us deploy intelligence to tracking and arresting the convict. We will process his transmission to the Correctional Centre accordingly”, he said.

Justice Omotosho had, in his judgment, held that the EFCC successfully established that Mamman and his associates diverted not less than N22 billion meant for the execution of critical power projects. The court further held that the defence failed to present credible evidence capable of discrediting the prosecution’s case.

The judge condemned the diversion of public funds earmarked for the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric projects, describing the act as a gross abuse of public trust. He also noted that the convict deployed proxy companies and associates to siphon and benefit from funds meant for critical national infrastructure.

Mamman, who served as Minister of Power between 2019 and 2021 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, supervised Nigeria’s power sector and major hydroelectric projects, including the Mambilla and Zungeru power projects.
Following his conviction, the court ordered that he be arrested and produced before it on May 13, 2026, for sentencing. However, the convict failed to appear in court on the scheduled date, prompting the court to proceed with sentencing in his absence.

Justice Omotosho subsequently sentenced Mamman to seven years imprisonment each on Counts 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 without an option of fine. He was also sentenced to three years imprisonment on Count 4 with an option of N10 million fine and two years imprisonment on Count 5 without an option of fine.
The court further ordered that the sentences run consecutively, bringing the total jail term to 75 years.
Apart from the conviction, Mamman is also facing another corruption trial before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, over alleged N31 billion fraud.

On May 11, 2026, Justice Maryanne Anenih issued a bench warrant for his arrest following his failure to appear for proceedings in the matter involving him and seven others

The post N33.8bn Power Fraud: EFCC Arrests Fleeing Ex-Power Minister, Saleh Mamman in Kaduna appeared first on Business Today NG.