The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on January 12 charged Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, with N6bn money laundering.

The court had on March 28, ordered Mompha to submit his passport to court after his bail sum was reduced from N200m to N25m.

However, the defendant has failed to appear in court on two scheduled dates for his trial.

During proceedings on Wednesday, the judge stood down the matter for a while in expectation of the defendant’s arrival, but failed to appear in court again at resumption of court proceedings.

The EFCC lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo said the court should issue an arrest warrant against him.

The judge said the excuse given last time for the defendant not appearing in court was that he contacted COVID-19 which was found to be false.

Subsequently, Justice Dada revoked the defendant’s bail and ordered his arrest.

The judge adjourned the matter till June 30, 2022.

The Court also requested two sureties, one of which must own a property valued at N100 million within its jurisdiction.

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Mompha and Ismalob before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday.

“Ismaila Mustapha (Aka Mompha) arraigned this morning, January 12, 2022, for offences bothering on Money Laundering and use of property derived from an unlawful act.He was arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos,”.

The anti-corruption had on Monday announced that Mompha was re-arrested for alleged money laundering.

“Operatives of the Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have re-arrested a suspected internet fraudster, Ismailia Mustapha, for laundering funds obtained through unlawful activities and retention of alleged proceeds of crime

“Mompha was arrested on Monday, January 10, 2022,” it said.

Mompha, who was arrested on Monday, is currently standing trial alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, on an amended 22-count charge bordering on cyber fraud and money laundering to the tune of N32.9 bn brought against him by the EFCC.

The EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed this in a statement, titled, ‘EFCC re-arrests Mompha for alleged money laundering.’

Mompha had earlier been arrested by the Nigeria Immigration Service at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on October 18, 2019, while boarding an Emirates Airline flight to Dubai, following a watchlist by the EFCC.

He is alleged to have used his registered companies to receive illicit funds on behalf of cyber fraudsters from across the world in return for commissions.

The statement read, “The account of one of his companies, Ismalob Global Investment Limited Bank, a Bureau de Change company, domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc, was allegedly used to launder funds derived from unlawful activities.Investigation has revealed a fraudulent transfer slip of $92, 412, 75 found in the suspect’s iPhone 8 device. He will soon be charged to court.”

The anti-graft agency earlier today released a statement titled “EFCC Opposes Mompha’s Accomplice, Koudeih’s Application For Foreign Medical Checkup”.

In the statement, the EFCC said Koudeih is being “prosecuted alongside one Kayode Phillips, both of whom are alleged accomplices of Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, before Justice Muslim Hassan of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos for alleged money laundering.”

The defendants were also described as “high-value targets in Organized Cyber Syndicate Network, OCSN, were arraigned on November 28, 2019, on 25-count charges, bordering on conspiracy and money laundering.”

Mompha however countered the claim, saying it is a “false and mischievous story” with an intent of gaining public followership.

He wrote “I AM NOT AN ACCOMPLICE AS ERRONEOUSLY (FALSELY) STATED BY EFCC

My attention has been drawn to a social media post by the official Instagram handle of the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) now been circulated in the news, blogs and several social media outlets tagged ‘EFCC opposes Mompha’s Accomplice Kondeih’s application for a foreign medical checkup’. It has come as a surprise to me that the official page of an anti-graft agency such as the EFCC would post a false and mischievous story with my name as the headline with the intent of gaining public followership. I wish to state categorically that I do not have any connection or affiliation in any manner whatsoever with the supposed Hamza Kondeih and Kayode Phillip. I am neither a party to the criminal charge filed against them at the Federal High Court, Lagos nor do I have any business relationship with the above names persons to the knowledge of EFCC. The publication by EFCC is a clear indication that EFCC is all out to smear my name in the eye of the public all in a bid to generate public sympathy despite the pendency of a completely different matter filed by them against me before the Federal High Court, Lagos. It is important to state that the matter filed against me by the EFCC which is still pending is in relation to the operation of BDC without a license and has nothing to do with fraud, cybercrime or internet scam, one is therefore left to wonder why the EFCC is hell-bent in using media trial to link me with cybercrime and fraud-related offences by tagging me ‘an accomplice’ to an offence I have no knowledge about. Let me emphatically state that the only time I encountered Hamza and Kayode was at the EFCC office in Lagos where the EFCC brought them to my presence and I categorically stated that I do not know these people and do not have any business dealing with them likewise the two of them also said they do not know me which is the more reason why EFCC was unable to arraign me along with them in relation to the offences for which they are being prosecuted. I, therefore, urge my teeming fans and the general public to discountenance the mischievous and malicious falsehood been spread against me by the EFCC”

Mompha was re-arrested on Friday, August 14 when he went to the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos to reclaim his five wristwatches, one Apple Air pod, one iPhone 8 mobile phone and one pair of sunglasses, seized by the EFCC operatives last October. Following an application by his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), Justice Mohammed Liman had on July 24 ordered the EFCC to release the items to Mompha.

Mompha had gone to the EFCC to pick up his item and had barely left the EFCC premises when the operatives accosted him and took him into custody. EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said Mompha’s re-arrest was connected to a fresh set of cyber fraud charges.

Confirming his release, his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), said Mompha has also withdrawn the N5 million fundamental rights suit he filed against the EFCC to challenge his re-arrest.

Mompha was re-arrested last Friday, August 14 when he went to the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos to reclaim his five wristwatches, one Apple Air pod, one iPhone 8 mobile phone and one pair of sunglasses, seized by the EFCC operatives last October. Following an application by his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), Justice Mohammed Liman had on July 24 ordered the EFCC to release the items to Mompha.

In a suit filed before the Federal High Court Lagos by his lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN) today August 18, Mompha prayed the court to mandate the EFCC to pay him N5m for what he termed his “unlawful re-arrest and detention.” He urged the court to declare that the continued seizure of the items violated his right to own property under Section 44 of the constitution.

The court is yet to fix a date for the hearing of Mompha’s suit.

Mompha was re-arrested last Friday, August 14 when he went to the EFCC office in Ikoyi, Lagos to reclaim his five wristwatches, one Apple Air pod, one iPhone 8 mobile phone and one pair of sunglasses, seized from him by the anti-graft agency last October.

Mompha had barely left the premises of the EFCC office in Ikoyi after collecting the items on Friday when operatives of the anti-graft agency waylaid him and took him into custody.

Confirming his re-arrest, his lawyer, Oyewole said “I am filing processes tomorrow (Tuesday). They didn’t tell us why they are detaining him. They have not told us the basis for this re-arrest. As far as we are concerned, the EFCC is seeking to overreach the court because this is coming after we filed our no-case submission to the charges. When they had the opportunity to amend their charges they didn’t and they are claiming that there is a new charge.”

Justice Liman who ruled on a July 6 application filed by Mompha’s counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), ordered the return of the items which include five luxury wristwatches, an Apple iPod, an iPhone 8 device and a pair of sunglasses. They are reportedly among the items found on him during his arrest last October 19, in Abuja.

The federal high court judge who noted that the prosecution has the right to seize property during an arrest, likewise a duty to approach the court for an interim order, stated that due process must be observed and failure to do this is considered illegal. Liman further averred that the items had been with the EFCC for eight months already.

He said “None of these items was listed as an exhibit, none of the items was listed on the charge. At this stage, there is nothing on record that the items seized are being investigated on. The retention of the property without compliance with due process violates the requirements of Section 29 of the Act. Failure to release the property is illegal. As at today, no charge has been filed regarding the items. It is too long to withhold the applicant properties.”

The Lagos Zonal office of the Commission is prosecuting Mompha alongside his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited on an amended 22-count charge, bordering on cyber fraud and money laundering to the tune of N33billion (Thirty-Three Billion Naira).

Mompha’s uncle, Alhaji Ahmadu Mohammed was presented as the 10th prosecution witness (Pw10). He told the court that he and one other person are directors at Ismalob Global Investment Limited, but that Mompha was the sole signatory to the account of the company, domiciled in Fidelity Bank.

The statement released by the EFCC read in part “At Friday’s proceeding, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo invited the 10th prosecution witness (Pw10), Alhaji Ahmadu Mohammed, who is the defendant’s uncle. Ahmadu, in his evidence, told the court that he and one other person are directors at Ismalob Global Investment Limited, but that Mompha was the sole signatory to the account of the company, domiciled in Fidelity Bank. Mompha’s shares in the company, he said, are worth 600,000, while the two other directors’  are worth 200,000 each. Ahmadu also told the court that his job was to buy the Euro equivalent of the money sent to Mompha and send back in cash to the recipient, on Mompha’s directives. He also revealed that the company whose operations commenced in December 2015 is not a registered bureau de change. Ahmadu,  on cross-examination,  by the defence lawyer, Gboyega Oyewole SAN said there was no link between Ismalob Global Investment Limited and Mompha BDC, saying that the former is a separate company”

Justice Liman subsequently adjourned the case till July 24, 2020, for hearing on an application filed by Mompha, through the defence counsel for the release of his properties seized by the  EFCC.