An Abuja businessman, Mr Ibrahim Garba was on Wednesday, arraigned before the Chief Magistrates’ Court Wuse for alleged criminal decimation of Mr Shehu Abdullahi, a businessman in the same premises.

Garba is the Managing Director of Wakaso Car Ltd. located at the Royal Park Garden of Wuse, Abuja.

The prosecuting counsel, Simeon Wujat, informed the court that the complainant, Mr Shehu Abdullahi of the same address, brought the matter to the court on June 24,2026.

The prosecutor said that on the June 17, 2026, the complainant came into his business premises and park his Honda Civic car in front of his business space.

Wujat said that on that same day at about 8:04pm the complainant was suprise when he saw a team of well-armed and fiercely looking police officers with a road safety towing van, attempting to towing his car.

The counsel said that upon making a peaceful inquiry, the complainant was told by the team leader of the squad that the defendant had reported to the police that the car is a stolen vehicle.

The prosecutor said that his client was embarrassed and was made to write a statement in respect to his own car, which was maliciously reported and declared by the defendant as a stolen vehicle.

Wujat informed the court that, the complaint provided a certified-true-copy of the said vehicle at the police station on June 17 with the copy of his proof of ownership and registration particulars.

The prosecution told the court that upon careful investigation by the Police, it was found out that, the defendant intentionally and spitefully gave the Police false information about the car.

According to him, the act inevitably distracted, maligned and defame the complainant’s good reputation, within and outside his business.

He alleged that the defendant malicious and false information which he gave to the Police against the complainant and his car, had portrayed him as a car thief.

Wujat explained that the act also portray his client as a criminal, thereby tarnishing his unassailable good reputation and good will.

The prosecutor said, the offence contrary to sections 391 and punishable under section 392 of the penal code ACT 9060.

The defendant however pleaded not guilty to the charge when readed to him.

The defendant counsel, Mr Hamza Dantani applied for the bail of the defendant citing sections 158 and 162 of the administration of criminal justice act (ACJA) saying bail is at the discretion of court.

Ruling on the applicantion of the defendant, Magistrates Faridah Ibrahim, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N3 million in like sum with a surety.

She ordered that surety who the couple to the defendant to submit his call to bar certificate and an undertaking to provide the defendant whenever he is needed in court.

She also said that the counsel tot the defendant will be made to face disciplinary committee should he fail to produce the defendant.

A Civil Society Group, Concerned Citizens, has raises questions to the alleged refusal of Professor Ali Isa Pantami to acts in a case of alleged corrupt practices as Minister, thereby allegedly shielding the NCC indicted officials from prosecution.

NCC in 2021, had confirmed that its officials allegedly cornered public funds but refused to ensure they are disciplined as prescribed by anti-corruption laws.

The Civil Society Group through it’s Convener, Ibrahim Illyas Kaltungo, reminded that based on 2021 media reports one of the leading Newspapers online, Premium Times on 27 April 2021, it’s says, Two weeks after his office was contacted by a group to take action against two officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) enmeshed in a N122 million alleged fraud, Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, has failed to act.

They said, this is even as NCC admitted its officials allegedly stole public funds, it has equally refused to ensure they are properly sanctioned as prescribed by anti-corruption laws and the Minister than turned deaf ears from the matter.

The CSO reminded that, in an exclusive report in March, by Premium Times, it exposed how two senior staff, Yakubu Gontor, head of the finance department, and Philip Eretan, former head of the internal audit department of NCC, got the funds as allowances for trips they never embarked on.

“Mr Gontor allegedly got N54 million as accruable allowances for official trips he never made while Mr Eretan fraudulently raked in about N68 million.”

The Civil Society Group notes that the Officials, were indicted by an investigative committee which was set up by the commission’s governing board in 2020. Premium Times understands that the money stolen is being deducted in instalments from their emoluments. But the two men are yet to have their day in court.

“The committee had recommended that the two officials should be made to face a disciplinary panel with appropriate sanctions meted out to them.”

They added that Premium Times, findings revealed that the Umar Danbatta-led management of the NCC, which in 2020 won the Ethics Compliance and Integrity Scorecards (ECIS) award of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has not disciplined the indicted officials as recommended by the committee, or called for their prosecution.

The Civil Society Group also notes that, Premium Times understands that between January and February 2020, Messrs Guntor and Eretan frequented the Kaduna zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a petition by a yet-to-be-identified group.

Although they notes that the new leadership of the EFCC in the zone, however, told our correspondent it could not trace the details of the matter. In February, the new head of the zone, Sanusi Abdullahi, said he was only transferred to the zone in July 2020, and that he could not trace the files of the matter.”

“The NCC in its response to PREMIUM TIMES’ exposè had admitted its officials allegedly stole public funds. The agency has apparently continued to shield them from prosecution.”

Mr Kaltungo reminded that at that time, an anti-corruption group, Lygel Youths and Leadership Initiatives (LYLI), wrote a letter to Mr Pantami seeking his intervention over the matter.

“In the letter dated April 14 and signed by its director of legal and compliance unit, Lekan Oladapo, the group noted that it had complained to the Executive Secretary of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in a letter dated 29th December, 2020, of which the minister was copied.

“In the said letter we had raised observations on the case of fraud in the Commission that involved the two heads of units of Finance and Audit.

“We have persistently advised the management of NCC to address that by implementing the recommendation of the Investigating Committee to impose necessary sanction and prosecute the culprits.

“Be that as it may, all the advice went to the deaf ears of the management to the extent that it was insensitive to the subsequent publications of the Premium Times published on March 29th 2021 and APRIL 1, 2021 respectively.

“We are surprised that the NCC can be as desperate as a reputable organisation allegedly condoning corruption of its officers without plausible justification.”

The group stated that it is “amazingly disturbing” for the NCC to continue to shield the officials from disciplinary action.

The CSO hints that at that time Pantami response was shaking that he said, ‘Leave me out of NCC matter’- Pantami
Despite acknowledging the receipt of the letter on April 15, Mr Pantami is yet to take any decisive action, sources told PREMIUM TIMES.

When Premium Times then contacted the minister’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, on the subject matter, she pleaded that her principal should be left out of the matter at that time.

“This is a crisis within NCC. They are in a better position to answer your questions and offer any clarification you may need.”

After informing her that NCC had confirmed the fraud but was apparently shielding the officials, she responded saying “this is under his (NCC spokesperson) purview. I will tell him to offer more clarification.”

Ms Suleiman later asked Premium Times reporter to send her the copy of the letter sent to the minister and this was done immediately.

Having read the letter, she has since failed to acknowledge the copy sent to her on WhatsApp. She has also not responded to issues raised in the said letter. She has also not responded to reminder on the subject matter.

The CSO, further reminded that, Premium Times Reports that Mr Pantami current public silence may not be unrelated to recent controversies over his past.

“He has been in the news lately over sermons he delivered over a decade ago that supported extremist groups such as Taliban and Al-Qaeda.”

“While the minister said he has renounced these teachings, blaming his immaturity at the time the statements were made, many Nigerians have demanded his resignation from office.”

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen an Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank, ten days to governorship election, according to documents seen by Vanguard.

The account, reportedly used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.

The development came hours after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the EFCC was planning to freeze the state’s accounts and those of top government officials.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the governor described the reported move as an attempt to cripple government activities ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

Adeleke maintained that there was no legal basis for freezing the accounts of the state government, arguing that the EFCC lacked the statutory powers to take such action.

A source close to the governor, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed to Vanguard that the account had already been frozen.

“I can confirm that the state government account has been frozen by the EFCC. It is no longer an allegation. The governor will address the press shortly to update the public on the situation,” the source said.

As of the time of filing this report, the EFCC had not issued an official statement on the development. The reason for the account restriction was also not immediately known.