EFCC arrests impersonator of Hammed Ali, Customs’ boss | Nairalaw

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested
one Azeez Afolayan, for impersonating the Comptroller-General,
Nigeria Customs Service, Retired Col. Hameed Ali and using his name
to allegedly scam job seekers.

EFCC spokesman Mr Tony Orilade made this known in a press
statement in Abuja on Tuesday.

The commission said that Afolayan was arrested by EFCC
operatives in Ilorin, Kwara, following complaints from one of his
victims.

“Trouble started for him when a staff of the Customs Service,
Hasaan Muhammed petitioned the EFCC, accusing him of defrauding
innocent Nigerians seeking employment into the service.

“He had so far defrauded them of about N1 million.

“Under interrogation, he admitted to the crime,” it said.

According to the statement, Afolayan confessed that “I started
duping people since 2017 up till date; I have duped about five
people.

“I collected different amount of money from my victims and all
of them used to transfer money to my bank accounts.

“I used to tell them that I will help them to secure employment
with the Nigerian Custom Services, but I was just scamming.”

Some of the items recovered from him include, Nigerian Customs
Service Application Forms, employment letters, passport photographs
of some job seekers among others.

“He will soon be charged to court,” the statement said.
(NAN)

Court to Hear Suit Seeking Buhari, Atiku’s
Disqualification

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered service of court
process on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Presidential
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar
through substituted means in suit seeking to disqualify their
participation in the last presidential election.

The two Presidential Candidates are to be served through the
legal departments of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for Buhari
and the legal department of the PDP for Atiku.

In the suit seeking the cancellation of their participation in
the February 23, 2019 Presidential election, the plaintiff, Usman
Ibrahim Alhaji who contested the Presidential election along with
Buhari and Atiku on the platform of his party, National Rescue
Movement is praying the Federal High Court to invoke Section 91(2)
of the Electoral Act, 2010 to nullify the participation of Buhari
and Atiku in the poll for allegedly violating the electoral
laws.

Specifically, the plaintiff, through his counsel, Ezekiel Vem
Ofou is praying the court to set aside the participation of Buhari
and Atiku on the ground that they spent more than one billion naira
each as campaign expenses.

Plaintiff claimed that by spending more than one billion naira
each, Buhari and Atiku have violated the electoral law and are
liable to be removed as contestants in the election.

When the matter came up yesterday, counsel to the plaintiff,
Ofou told the trial judge, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed that he has
found it extremely difficult to serve the court papers on Buhari
and Atiku, who are the major defendants in the suit because of the
retinue of security around them.

The counsel then moved an ex-parte motion in which he prayed
Justice Mohammed for an order of substituted service on the two
major defendants

He predicated the ex-parte motion on Order 6 Rule 5 of the
Federal High Court practice direction for permission to allow him
serve Buhari and Atiku through the legal departments of their
respective parties.

In a short ruling, Justice Mohammed granted the ex-parte motion
and ordered that Buhari and Atiku be served with court processes
through their respective political parties and adjourned the matter
to March 26, 2019 for mention.

By PRNigeria