The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned a former Niger Delta militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, in absentia on 22 counts of fraud amounting to N47.6bn, according to the Punch.
Also arraigned in absentia in relation to the alleged fraud were six brothers of a former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi – Igo, Julius, Victor, Norbert, Emmanuel and Clement. Tompolo, Igo, Julius, Victor, Norbert, Emmanuel and Clement were declared as being “now at large” when the charges were read before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday.
But Akpobolokemi himself, two females, Josephine Otuaga and Rita Uruakpa and one Kime Engozu, who were also listed as defendants in the amended charge, were present in court on Monday to answer to the charges.
The other defendants in the charge were six companies, namely: Mieka Dive Training Institute Ltd./GTE; Oyeinteke Global Network Ltd.; Wabod Global Resources Ltd.; Boloboere Properties Estate Ltd.; Gokaid Marine Oil and Gas Ltd.; and Watershed Associated Resources.
The charges bordered on conspiracy, advanced fee fraud and money laundering.
In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that the defendants conspired among themselves to defraud the Federal Government between December 2, 2014 and April 10, 2015, by inducing the Federal Government to deliver N11.9bn to them.
The EFCC claimed that the accused persons induced the Federal Government by “falsely pretending to the Federal Government that a parcel of land and its appurtenances situated at Mieka Dive Training Institute, Kurutie, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State had been acquired by NIMASA for the temporary campus of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko.”
By allegedly making fraudulent and false representations to the Federal Government, the EFCC said the defendants violated Section 1 (b) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other fraud related offences Act, 2006 and were liable to punishment under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
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