Crime
EFCC arraigns 3 AIICO Capital personnel for alleged N1.4bn fraud
Three staff members of AIICO Capital Ltd were on Thursday arraigned before an Ikeja Special Offences Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding their employer, an investment company, of N1.4 billion.
Our correspondent reports that the staff members: Harriet Onome, Olajumoke Akano and Olabode Ogunlere, were charged with four counts of conspiracy and stealing.
They however denied the charges.
According to the EFCC prosecutor, Miss Chinenye Okezie, the defendants had sometime in 2020 in Lagos committed the offences alongside one Olanrewaju Fabunmi who is now at large.
“Onome sometime between November and December 2020 converted to her own use the aggregate sum of N419.9 million.
“Akano, within the same period, dishonestly converted to her own use the aggregate sum of N167 million.
“Between October and November 2020, Ogunlere fraudulently converted the aggregate sum of N65 million to his personal use.
“The said sums are property of AIICO Capital Ltd,” she said.
According to the anti-graft agency, the offences contravene Sections 287(8) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Following their arraignment, Mr Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Onome’s defence counsel, and Mr Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), counsel for Akano and Ogunlere, applied for the defendants’ bail to be granted in liberal terms.
Okezie, however, opposed the bail applications.
According to her, Onome is a flight risk who has a two-year valid visa to the United Kingdom.
“If the court should consider granting the defendants bail it should be on stiff conditions that will ensure the defendants attendance in court,” she said.
Responding, Oyetibo told the court that Onome was not a flight risk because her international passport was with the EFCC and had applied that her international passport be deposited with the registrar of the court.
Olumide-Fusika in his submission said that Akano is a nursing mother and had never jumped the bail which was granted to her by the EFCC when she was being investigated.
He also noted that although Ogunlere was initially detained by the EFCC for five-days over the alleged fraud, he always honoured the anti-graft agency’s invitation after he was granted bail.
Delivering a ruling on the bail applications, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo granted each of the defendants N50million bail with two sureties in like sum.
“One of the sureties must be a land owner and the Registrar of Titles shall verify the location of the land.
“The other surety shall be a close relative who must be resident in Lagos. The identities of the sureties must be verified by the court,” she said.
The court adjourned the case until Oct. 12, for trial.
The Cross River Police Command has arrested three Egyptian nationals for allegedly assaulting a female security officer at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
The suspects Mohammed Ayan, 24; Mohammed Mohammed, 40; and Ahmed Mohammed, 20 were said to have entered the hospital premises around 12 noon on Monday to hawk household items, an act prohibited within the facility.
Zagazola confirmed from sources that a security officer, Christiana Ada Ewa, 34, attached to the hospital’s surveillance unit, attempted to stop the men from hawking when one of them, Ayan, allegedly assaulted her.
Her colleague, Ethan Ita Ansa, 24, intervened, resulting in a physical altercation between the parties. During the scuffle, Ansa’s uniform was torn and he sustained a finger injury, while Ayan also suffered bruises on his right eyebrow and knees.
Police detectives promptly visited the scene and arrested the suspects. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation.
A Nigerian Army officer, Lt. Samson Haruna, has died after sustaining severe burns when his wife allegedly set him ablaze during a domestic dispute at Wellington Bassey Barracks, Ibagwa, Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
Zagazola Makama learnt that the tragic incident occurred on Sept. 22, 2025.
The source said the officer, who was also a medical doctor attached to the 6 Battalion Regimental Medical Officer (RMO), had a heated argument with his wife, Mrs. Samson Haruna, which resulted in her dousing him with petrol (PMS) and setting him on fire.
“The officer sustained severe burns and was immediately stabilised at the Military Reference Section (MRS) in the barracks before being evacuated to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital for further management,” the source said.
The officer, however, succumbed to his injuries despite efforts by medical personnel to save his life.
It was further gathered that the suspect has been arrested and is currently in custody while an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested a suspected armed robber and recovered a locally-made pistol and several stolen items in Gwagwalada Area Council.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the arrest followed a complaint lodged by one Kabiru Ahmed of Kasuwan Dare, Gwagwalada, who reported that two men swapped his Moniepoint POS machine on Oct. 1, 2025, at about 2:55 p.m.
Detectives from the Gwagwalada Division swiftly acted on the report and apprehended one Abdul Abdullahi of Kano State, who confessed to being part of a syndicate notorious for POS swapping and robbery within the area.
The suspect named his accomplices as Yusuf Abdul, Mustapha Abba, Faruk, and Abu Chibola, and later led police operatives to their hideout in Angwan Dodo, Gwagwalada.
However, the other suspects escaped through the ceiling and roof of the building towards a nearby river upon sighting the operatives. One female suspect, Rahama Michael was arrested at the scene.
Items recovered include one fabricated locally-made pistol, six POS machines, seven ATM cards, 37 SIM cards, six wristwatches, and one axe.
The State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) has commenced a full investigation, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing members of the syndicate.
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