in this issue Were Cleaning Up the Solid Minerals Sector Ezekwesili 26 Public Officers and Curruption 10 Tafa: One Drama of a Trial 14 If Nigeria Fails 8 EFCC And National Security Imperatives 9 Abacha Made The World Sit Up 20 Reconstructing Nation Building In Nigeria 23 Catching the Tax Dodger 24 Help from Without 28 A Dramatic End To A Mega Scam 35 Portrait of a Yahoo-Yahoo Boy 39 I Go Chop Your Dollar 42 EFCC Operations 45 Photospeak 54 EFCC Is Not Selective Gani 54 Zero Tolerance • 3 Editors Opener This War Must Be Won! he magazine you hold in your Zero Tolerance could not have debuted Of course, there are takes on the cases hands has been long in coming, at a more auspicious time in our national that have riveted the attention of the not because the dreams -what it life. At this time we are witnesses to nation -from that of former Inspector would look like, contain and unsurpassed successes on various flanks General of Police, Tafa Balogun to those of hope to achieve have not been of the war on corruption. But, there is no the twin Houdini of our time, former dreamt. If anything, there had victory dance yet; the enemy is not fully Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha and been a surfeit of them, but gestation is a routed. Indeed, there is cause to worry Governor Joshua Dariye. Given that some reallyT long drawn activity when the even more now, than when the war was of the matters are still being inquired into ultimate goal is a product that bears the declared, as, having seen the determina- by competent courts of law, we have imprimatur everyone is proud to have: tion of those leading the charges on the exercised due caution in our reports and EFCC. various fronts, the enemy forces have reviews. The magazine would define the mandate, quickly reassessed the situation and are There is also a piece which briefness strategies, features and outlook of EFCC. falling back on destroy-and-die kamikaze belies its incisive presentation of the case Zero Tolerance is to assist as well in the tactics. for rebuilding the Nigerian nation, written image cleanup efforts of the Nigerian So, today, we see corrupt politicians, by Emmanuel Akomaye, Secretary of the government. The magazine would have dyed-in-the-wool 419ers -some of who Commission. Madam Due Process, Dr. rich local content and an international have journalists in their employ- cross Oby Ezekwesili and Emeka Ifezulike, a flavour that would aid immediate exposure border fraudsters and unscrupulous law member of the Board of EFCC lead us on outside the shores of Nigeria. It is envi- enforcement agents teaming up to fight the an engaging tour of the public sector. sioned to be by all known standards - war of their lives. And, they are on a From their clinical analyses and conversa- editorial content and production -one that whirlwind recruitment drive for suicide tional writing, you can actually see the can hold its own among peers anywhere in fighters: anyone who has a genuine or muck, smell the decay, taste the rot and the world. untenable disagreement with the policies then…begin to feel the gust of public It would have been unthinkable to come of government is a potential target. sector reforms sweeping all that into out with anything less than what we are EFCC chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu oblivion. today presenting as Zero Tolerance. Even perceptively x-rays this latest trend in his Transparency International President, then, this is not where we want to end up. very engaging piece Appraising the War Peter Eigen gives the FirstWord and Chief Every edition of this magazine would be an on Corruption. The piece is a veritable Gani Fawehinmi, Senior Advocate of improvement on the last. Nigerians and anchor of the extensive collector's item Nigeria and irrepressible human rights friends of Nigeria who have followed and cover on corruption in the public service campaigner, the LastWord -ringing en- contributed a great deal to the monumental by which we have tried to do mid-battle dorsements of EFCC, the idea, the actions, advances in our society engineered by the assessment of on-going efforts to clean up the vision. No one could have asked for administration of President Olusegun the Nigerian nation. more in a first edition. Obasanjo deserve no less. Mobolaji Aluko, professor at Howard You are wanted…to join the war. Sign But then, while we waited to properly University Washington, DC, and relentless up today and welcome onboard Zero get off the ground, so much water was campaigner against corruption, 419 and Tolerance for corruption, economic and passing under the bridge. It was therefore other social vices, throws in an unjustifi- financial crimes. a deliberate decision to come out at this ably delayed piece (from our own end) on time, to put some of these happenings in Simple Things to do about Corruption. proper perspectives. The Team Photo Editor: Monday Emoni Editor-in-Chief: Osita Nwajah Photo Journalists: Usman Maigari General Editor: Wilson Uwujaren Usman Muhammed Franklyn Ogunleye Associate Editor: Medard Ehimika Editorial Assistants: Toyin Zaro Bennett Progress Correspondents: Fatima Yakubu Blessing Ekeleme Concept & Design: Myhappiday Communications DISCLAIMER: The positions canvassed in this magazine are principally those of the writers and do not represent those of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Commission is therefore not to be held liable for such comments, views and information. Zero Tolerance is a publication of the Media & Publicity Unit of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. EFCC asserts its copyrights. Reproduction of this magazine in any form, in whole or in part without written permission, is forbidden. Editorial contributions, including photographs are welcome. Mails should be sent to: The Editor, Zero Tolerance 5, Fomella Street, Wuse 2, P.M.B. 166, Garki, Abuja, Nigeria. Or 15A, Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. Email: [email protected]. Tel: 234-9-6441102; 6441107; 234-1-2692631 4 • Zero Tolerance briefs EFCC Secures First ConvictionThe first major breakthrough inForKaduna Terrorism presided by Justice the effort at stemming the rising Abdullahi Liman, and charged with wave of terrorism in the Niger Delta conspiracy to commit terrorism, an was recorded on February 6, 2006 offence that is punishable under when a Federal High Court in section 15 sub-section1, 2 and 3 of Kaduna, convicted the quartet of the EFCC Act, 2004. Felix Fedaghe, Ediri Okota, Pere In his ruling, the trial judge, Jus- Golubade and Lucky Atere for their tice Liman acknowledged the fact that role in the kidnap of two British the accused persons had shown re- employees of the oil company, Pan morse for their offence by not wast- Ocean Oil Corporation in Warri, ing the time of the court. Neverthe- Delta State. They were sentenced less he observed that their action had each, to three years imprisonment negative consequence for the image without any option of fine. and integrity of the country for which Paul Alfred, 60 and Michael Coe they must be punished. He therefore were allegedly kidnapped by the sentenced the quartet to three years accused persons on September 28, imprisonment. • EFCC Chairman, Ribadu presents Cheque a of $4.4 million recovered 2005. A week after, on October30, The convicts are already serving from fraudsters to 86-year-old victim of 419. 2005 the accused persons were ar- their term at the Federal Prisons, raigned before a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt. EFCC Recovers and Returns United States Officials $4.48m to Duped 86 year-old Hong Kong Woman The government ofVisit the United EFCCApart from this, Rowe disclosed States of America has offered to as- that the U.S State Department had An 86-year-old woman, Juliana 2000, while the scam lasted, the vic- sist Nigeria in its fight against cor- committed $500,000 to training and Ching, was on 26th September, 2005 tims transferred about HKD320m to ruption and financial crimes. technical assistance on different presented a cheque of USD accounts in Nigerian banks provided Mr. Jerry Rowe, Regional Ad- projects relating to anti-money laun- 4,481,909.94m in Hong Kong, by by the 419 kingpin and his group. viser, U.S Department of Treasury dering, counter terrorist financing EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu disclosed this September, 2005 dur- and anti-corruption measures in Ribadu. The money is part of re- ing a visit to the headquarters of the Nigeria. UN Terrorism Economic and financial Crimes Responding, Mr. Akomaye covered funds from a fictitious trans- Commission, EFCC in Abuja. commended the U.S government for action initiated by one Basil Team Visit Mr. Rowe, who was received by its assistance and commitment to Nkenchor, a Nigerian, purporting to the Commission's Secretary Mr. supporting good governance in Ni- be Alhaji Ibrahim Abba, Group EFCC Emmanuel Akomaye, revealed that geria. Managing Director of the Nigerian The Economic and Financial the American government has ear- He highlighted the functions and National Petroleum Corporation, Crimes Commission, EFCC on marked $1.7million for the financ- achievements of the Commission (NNPC), sometime in June, 1995. Monday October 10, 2005 played ing of projects in support of good and sued for greater collaboration Presenting the cheque, Mallam host to a high-powered delegation governance and accountability in between the two countries espe- Ribadu assured the government and from the United Nations Security Nigeria. cially in the area of crime fighting, people of Hong Kong that the ef- Council Sanctions Committee on Al- Explaining further, he said about to improve the performance of the forts of the Nigerian government to Qaeda and the Taliban.