EFCC arraigns director, company for alleged N140b fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday arraigned one Saadatu Ramallan Yaro and a company before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on money laundering separate charges to the tune of over N140billion.

Yaro was arraigned before Justice Obiora Egwuatu on 25-count charge and 12 counts respectively.

The anti-graft Commission in statement by its Head, Media and Publicity Wilson Uwujaren, said the defendant in the first 25-count charge, is accused of failing in her duty as Director of Tsami Babi Resources Limited, a Designated Non-financial Business, to make submissions of activities of the company that enabled financial transactions into the company’s account with a new generation bank to the tune of over N100billion to the Ministry of Commerce.

According to the statement, he was arraigned alongside Tsami Babi Resources Limited.

Some of the counts against the defendants reads, “that you, Saadatu Ramallan Yaro, being a Director Of Tsami Babi Resources Limited, a Designated Non-Financial Institution, between 5th July, 2021 and 20th day of April, 2022, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to submit to the Ministry of Commerce, a declaration of activities of the said company within which period the total sum of N20,967,535,184.00 (Twenty Billion, Nine Hundred and Sixty-seven Million, Five Hundred and Thirty Five Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Four Naira was deposited into the Company’s account No.1216254641 domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 5(1) (a), 16(1) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.

“That you, Tsami Babi Resources Limited, a Designated Non-financial Institution, in year 2021, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to submit to the Ministry of Commerce, a declaration of activities of the said company within which period the total sum of N17,623,756, 150.00( Seventeen Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty-three Million, Seven and Fifty-six Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty Naira) was deposited.