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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has initiated legal proceedings against two individuals, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, who are accused of being part of a larger syndicate.
The pair allegedly took on the identity of the EFCC’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in a calculated effort to extort $1 million from Mohammed Bello-Koko, the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The suspects were formally presented before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, for their initial court hearing in connection with the alleged extortion plot.
The EFCC revealed that Joshua and Hashim reached out to Bello-Koko, fabricating a story that they had the power to sway an investigation they falsely claimed was being conducted against him.
In their extortion scheme, they demanded a sum of $1 million, promising to arrange a “soft landing” in exchange for his compliance, and warned him of imminent arrest and prosecution should he refuse to cooperate.
Charged with a total of four counts, the defendants are accused of impersonating a high-ranking official and attempting to defraud their victim. The charges, based on the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006, highlight the severity of their alleged crimes.
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In court, it was revealed that on September 28, 2024, the duo attempted to obtain $700,000 from Bello-Koko, asserting they could halt a non-existent EFCC petition.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. EFCC counsel Elizabeth Alabi requested their remand pending trial, while the defense sought bail.
Justice Onwuebuzie granted bail to the first defendant, Joshua, with stringent conditions including a N100 million bond and two level-16 civil service sureties. Both defendants were ordered remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre until bail conditions are met. The judge scheduled the second defendant’s bail hearing for November 18, 2024.
The suspects, reportedly part of a four-man syndicate impersonating EFCC officials, were arrested on August 28, 2024, in Garki and Apo legislative quarters, Abuja.
