By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CeleOkaf11

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Thursday, 25 February 2021 arraigned Abiodun Waheed Hassan and his Company Best worth Insurance Brokers Limited before Justice S.C Oriji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja on a five-count charge of alleged criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of funds to the tune of over Twenty Six Billion Naira (N26billion).

By Muktar Bello (Kaduna State Correspondent)

The trial of a former governor of Kaduna State, Muktar Ramalan Yero, before Justice Z. B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna continued on Tuesday, February 23, 2021, with the tendering of evidence by the first prosecution witness (PW1), Jonah Abimaje.

By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CeleOkaf11

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, on Tuesday, said virtual assets and cryptocurrencies are risky for implementation in Nigeria.

By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CeleOkaf11

The trial of a former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode before Justice John Tsoho of a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja continued today, Tuesday, February 23, 2021, with the testimony of Mohammed Goji, the third prosecution witness, PW3.

• * Strikes Off Six Of The Charges Filed Against Him

By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CeleOkaf11

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, adjourned the trial of a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Umar Dikko (Rtd), till April 28 and 29, 2021 when the defendant is expected to open his defense on one of seven counts of money laundering preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Air Marshal Dikko is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a seven-count charge of money laundering and procurement fraud to the tune of N9.7billion.

The EFCC closed its case on November 28, 2019. But Dikko, rather than open his defense filed a no-case submission through his counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, claiming that the Commission has not proven the charges brought against him and therefore, should be let off the hook.

Prosecuting counsel, Sylvanus Tahir had opposed the submission, urging the court to throw out the defendant’s application for lacking in merit.

Ruling on the defendant’s application today, Justice Dimgba held that the prosecution failed to link the defendant to the offense in six out of the seven counts of the charge. The judge held that the prosecution acted on suspicion and assumption as it was unable to prove that properties acquired by the defendant could be gotten from the proceeds of estacodes that accrued to him as Chief of Air Staff.

He therefore discharged and acquitted the defendant on counts1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the charge and adjourned till April 28 and 29 for the defendant to open his defense. NNL.

By Idongesit Esuene (Akwa Ibom State Correspondent)

The trial of Uzoma Udemba, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Communication Trends Limited, began on Wednesday, February 24, 2021, before Justice Agatha Okeke of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC presenting two witnesses who tendered relevant items and documents which were admitted in evidence.