Connect with us

News

Achimugu sought $12m cash swap through SunTrust Bank to buy oil block, EFCC witness tells court

Published

on

 

Suleiman Ciroma, a witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has told the federal high court in Abuja how $12 million was exchanged in cash transactions at SunTrust Bank within 10 days.

Ciroma gave the narration on Thursday while being led in evidence by Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to EFCC, in the ongoing trial involving Halima Buba, the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of SunTrust Bank, and Innocent Mbagwu, the bank’s executive director and chief compliance officer.

 

Ciroma, a businessman and former bureau de change (BDC) operator, confirmed knowing Buba and identified her in court but noted that he had never met Mbagwu in person—only spoken to him by phone.

 

He submitted a bundle of documents as evidence, detailing how the $12 million was paid out at different branches of SunTrust Bank in Abuja and Lagos between March 10 and March 20.

 

He said the transaction began when Aisha Achimugu, a businesswoman, contacted him about conducting a forex exchange through the bank.

 

Ciroma said he called Buba, who confirmed she was aware of the arrangement.

See also  Aisha Achimugu unveils 30-day Ramadan feeding initiative

On the same day, the witness said a man named Iliya contacted him from the bank’s Abuja branch and said $1 million in cash was ready for collection.

 

Ciroma said he sent an associate, Tijjani Adamu, to collect the money on behalf of Ashrap Ltd, a company owned by his friend, Hassan Dantani.

 

He added that on the same day, one Abdulkadir Mohammed picked up another $1 million, while a man identified as Kabiru collected $2 million—also in cash.

 

Ciroma told the court that the $12 million was converted and credited in tranches to Oceangate Energy Oil & Gas, a company he said is owned by Achimugu, through its Zenith Bank account.

 

According to him, he made a profit of N15 million from the entire transaction.

 

When asked about the purpose of the transaction, Ciroma said Achimugu told him she needed the funds to purchase an oil block.

 

He further testified that Buba coordinated the Abuja transactions while Mbagwu handled those in Lagos.

 

The EFCC lawyer also tendered WhatsApp chats between Ciroma and Buba, along with a certificate of identification.

See also  Good morning! Newspaper Headlines Today: 2027: Jonathan, Obi hold closed-door meeting

 

Although Johnson Usman and M.S. Ibrahim, defence lawyers, objected to the admissibility of the documents, they deferred their arguments to the final written address.

 

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, admitted the evidence and marked it as exhibit P1, then adjourned the trial to July 18 for continuation.

 

The EFCC is prosecuting Buba and Mbagwu on a six-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $12 million.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Buba and Mbagwu facilitated the illegal cash movement of millions of dollars on different occasions without routing the transactions through any financial institution, in violation of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.

The bank executives pleaded not guilty and met their bail conditions.

 

THE GENESIS

Insiders told TheCable that the EFCC, in April 2025, directed SunTrust Bank to transfer over N11 billion belonging to one of its customers, Felak Concept Group Ltd.—linked to Aisha Achimugu—to its recovery account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

 

One of the insiders in the know of the proceedings said the executives requested a valid court order to authorise the transfer, citing fiduciary responsibilities.

See also  No prophet in the Bible married only one wife, says Oshoffa’s son

 

The EFCC was said to have failed to produce any court order; instead, it allegedly disrupted the bank’s operations nationwide and detained Buba.

According to repors, following the EFFC’s action, the bank executives filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit, asserting that the commission’s actions violated their constitutional rights and those of the financial institution’s staff.

 

The bank eventually transferred the N11 billion under “coercion and threat” before Buba was released from detention.

 

Achimugu had filed a fundamental rights suit (FHC/CS/ABJ/626/2025) against the EFCC, alleging harassment and intimidation over what “she claims were legitimate business transactions.”

 

The bank executives also initiated a separate suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/802/2025), seeking judicial protection from “threats, attempted arrests, and coercion” by the commission.

⁠Felak Concept Group also brought a suit (FHC/CS/856/2025) against the EFCC, SunTrust Bank, and the CBN, disputing the legality of debiting its account without a valid court order and requesting a refund.

Although the bank executives have withdrawn their rights enforcement suit, the Felak and Achimugu cases remain active, with hearings scheduled for July 17 and July 25, respectively.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

Published

on

By

Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

See also  Aisha Achimugu unveils 30-day Ramadan feeding initiative

Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

See also  Police arrest ‘cleric with human body parts’ in Ondo

On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

Continue Reading

News

Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

Published

on

By

1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

See also  Trial of Abidemi Rufai moves to Tacoma, how he lost bail in New York

4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

See also  No prophet in the Bible married only one wife, says Oshoffa’s son

7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

See also  BREAKING: Supreme Court upholds deregistration of 74 political parties by INEC

10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

Continue Reading

News

Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

Published

on

By

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

See also  Trial of Abidemi Rufai moves to Tacoma, how he lost bail in New York

Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

See also  Good morning! Newspaper Headlines Today: 2027: Jonathan, Obi hold closed-door meeting

“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

Continue Reading

Trending News