We can now report that Oyo-Ita has been granted bail in the sum of N100 million. Oyo-Ita who was accused of fraud in relation to DTA, estacodes, conference fees and receiving kickbacks on contracts, pleaded not guilty to the charges in court today March 23.

She was arraigned alongside her special assistant, Ubong Effiok; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Ltd; Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investments Ltd, U & U Global Services Ltd belonging to Mr Effiok, and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo granted the former Head of Service bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

They were arrested at locations within the Ilorin Metropolis based on intelligence reports gathered by the EFCC over their fraudulent activities. Officials also recovered several Laptops and mobile phones during the raids.

The suspects are Babatunde Omiyale, Salau Olumide, Akinsanya Ridwan Olamide, Akinola Eniola, Bashir Abdulbasit, Jide Owolabi, Kolade Balogun, Salawu Oluwadamilare, Akinola Opeyemi, Adewumi Johnson, Abiola Adedeji and Salawu Victor.

Last week, the EFCC boss trended after he was caught on camera making the claim. After the video went viral, the media team of his agency came out to deny he ever said that, arguing that his statement was misconstrued.

In another press briefing that was held today, he insisted that Cornonavirus is caused by corruption. In his words

He said “The corruption viruses was a creation by a corrupt mind. Somebody actually created corruption viruses, i mean Coronaviruses. Somebody actually sat down in the lab and came up with the creation of the coronaviruses with the view to infect and destroy other people. Who else can be more corrupt than that. It is created by a corrupt mind. I still insist that Coronavirus is caused by corruption”

Ishaq was arrested for diverting money meant for Kano Municipal Local Government while he was its chairman. He was also accused of ordering the deduction of N30,000 from the account of each council member without justification.

The statement added “Mukhtar’s trouble followed a petition which states that while he was Chairman, Kano Municipal, he allegedly diverted N76,000,000 only which was meant for projects, development and empowerment of the people.”

The former EFCC Chairman said before she was removed, she got a call from the Presidential Villa not to arrest the racketeers but she refused to be compromised on the case. Waziri also revealed that late Minister of Information Prof. Dora Akunyili knew of the plot to remove her and asked her to beg Jonathan, but she rejected the advice because it was totally against her “conscience and moral judgment.”

However in a statement released by Jonathan’s spokesperson Ikechukwu Eze, the former President debunked the claim and also stated that he retained her when he assumed office despite international calls for her sack.

The statement reads “We read media reports credited to the former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, in which she claimed in her new book that she was removed from office by ex-President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, because of her probe of some oil racketeers. We thought we had dealt with this matter, after promptly debunking similar statements she made in the past. In 2017 when she claimed that she lost her job because she ‘refused to back down from the probe of one of the masterminds of the fuel subsidy scam’, we quickly refuted and clarified the claim for the records, and even challenged her to name the individual or company in question. We had expected that a book from Mrs. Farida, coming years after the claim was first made, should have towed the path of honour by telling the truth for the benefit of history. Unfortunately, that still didn’t happen. It will be recalled that after assuming office as President on May 6, 2010, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan decided to retain Mrs. Waziri, who was appointed by his predecessor, late President Umaru Yar’Adua, as the head of the elite anti-crime agency. Despite obvious disenchantment from many Nigerians and mounting international pressure against Mrs. Waziri’s continued stay in office, the former President stood by her, in line with his conviction that every public officer should first be given the opportunity to deliver on his or her mandate. It must be pointed out that former President Jonathan had no personal issues with Mrs. Waziri. The former President had to eventually let her go in the national interest. Her removal therefore has a lot to do with reasons relating to Nigeria’s interest and global standing which details Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is obliged to keep as state secret in our common national interest. It is very important to note that when dealing with the interest of the nation and the performance of the functions of a public office, a determined leader cannot prioritise the interest of an individual. It therefore bears repeating here that Mrs Waziri’s removal as chairperson of EFCC had absolutely nothing to do with her purported refusal to desist from probing any oil individual. This claim sounds rather superficial and contradicts available evidence of the then government’s genuine efforts to combat oil subsidy racketeering. It is noteworthy that throughout President Jonathan’s tenure, he made practical efforts to combat the alleged oil cabals, including directing the stoppage of further payment of fuel subsidy claims to oil importers, and the setting up of the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede-led committee which had high level representation from all the intelligence agencies including the EFCC, with a mandate to thoroughly investigate the scandals in the industry. The choice of Aig-Aigboje, a man widely acclaimed for his dependability, as leader of the committee, was a clear demonstration that the President had no personal interest in the matter.”

Magu said the arrest of fraudsters that would be made in 2020 would be more than that of 2019, adding that the commission would secure more convictions in the year ahead. He pointed out that as long as corruption existed in Nigeria, EFCC would continue to have jobs to do, noting that the only way the agency could become jobless is when corruption is totally killed and buried.

The EFCC Boss stated, “The reward of hard work is more work. Let me call on all my officers and staff that you are expected to perform better next year. You are expected to double your energy because you will work more next year. You will work in the morning, you will work in the afternoon, you will work in the night and you will even work in the midnight. We will not sleep nor slumber until corruption is brought to its kneels. Corruption is the enemy of the nation and total war must be declared against it”.