News
Alleged $1.5m Fraud: Court Dismisses Preliminary Objections, Bail Application Of Intermediate Investment Holdings Boss, in Lagos
Alleged $1.5m Fraud: Court Dismisses Preliminary Objections, Bail Application Of Intermediate Investment Holdings Boss, in Lagos
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, May 7, 2026, dismissed the preliminary objections and bail application filed by the boss of Intermediate Investment Holdings Limited, Ufoma Joseph Immanuel, over an alleged $1.5 million fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, arraigned Immanuel, alongside his company, Intermediate Investment Holdings Ltd., on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and forgery to the tune of $1.5m.
Eereporter.com
Count one reads: “UFOMA JOSEPH IMMANUEL and INTERMEDIATE INVESTMENT HOLDINGS LIMITED between April 2022 and October 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, induced Adebisi Adebut of R28 Holdings Limited to deposit the total sum of S1, 500, 000.00 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars USD) as investment described as to wit: “Cash and or Capital Cost in Chappal Petroleum Development Company Limited; Business Development Cost in Intermediate Investment Holdings Limited: Capital and or Capital Call in Chappal Energies Mauritius Limited” on the understanding that R28 Holdings Limited will be; (a) reimbursed the investment amount (b) paid a Development Capital fee of $2 250,000.00. (Two Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars) (c) 22.4% worth of shares in Intermediate Investment Holdings Limited which representation you knew to be false.”
Count two reads: “UFOMA JOSEPH IMMANUEL, sometime between April 2022 and April 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, forged a document to wit: TERM SHEET and purporting same to have been executed by Sheriff Oluwo and Olaniran Osotuyi in order to facilitate your obtaining money by inducement from Adebisi Adebutu of R28 Holdings Limited.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Following the defendant’s “not guilty” plea, prosecution counsel, Babatunde Sonoiki, asked the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial and also prayed the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the International Criminal Police Organization, INTERPOL, pending the conclusion of its investigation.
Sonoiki also narrated how the defence counsel, Oluseun Awonuga, SAN, had physically assaulted his colleague, Emenike Mgbemele, at the sitting on March 2, 2026.
According to him, “My lord, the learned silk, physically assaulted my colleague on the staircase on his way to serve the defendant the charge as directed by the court.
“There is a video to that effect and we intend to tender it before the court.”
Though Awonuga did not respond to the allegation made against him by the prosecution counsel, he informed the court of a preliminary objection and a written address dated January 5, 2026, while urging the court to discountenance the counter-affidavit of the prosecution.
The prosecution, in a 21-paragraph counter-affidavit dated February 9, 2026, had urged the court to dismiss the notice of preliminary objections.
According to Awonuga, the Federal High Court, in a ruling, had ordered the EFCC not to arrest the defendant.
“EFCC has flouted the order by arresting the defendant and I hereby urge your lordship to discountenance their counter- affidavit,” he said.
Responding, the prosecution counsel, Sonoiki, said that the ruling was part of the motion that had earlier been withdrawn by the defence and should not be before the court.
“ There is nowhere in the ruling that says the defendants cannot be arraigned in a court of competent jurisdiction. My lord, the ruling was delivered in a civil case; and according to the Supreme Court, a criminal case and civil case can go on at the same time”

Court
“We urge the court to dismiss the application and order accelerated hearing in this case,” Sonoiki had said.
After listening to both parties, Justice Dada had, consequently, adjourned the case till May 7, 2026 ( today) for ruling.
Ruling on the application , Justice Dada held that: “The preliminary objection is baseless and the entire application is lacking in merit; and it is hereby dismissed.”
Also, Justice Dada, in her ruling on the bail application of the defendant, held that “On the basis of considering the antecedent of the defendant for not honouring the invitation of the applicant after he was granted administrative bail, I agree with the complainant that he is a flight risk; therefore, bail is refused.”
Justice Dada adjourned the case till June 24, 26, 29 and 30, 2026 for the commencement of trial.
News
ADC Warns Government Agents To Hands Off ADC Judicial Matters
ADC Warns Government Agents To Hands Off ADC Judicial Matters
ADC warns government agents to hands off ADC Judicial matters, says government agents are pressuring justice Nwite to recuse himself…
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned the federal government to hands off judicial matters and immediately cease all alleged attempts to interfere in the ongoing case involving Nafiu Bala Gombe through covert pressure on Hon. Justice Nwite to recuse himself from the matter.
The party said it has uncovered a disturbing plot by desperate forces within the corridors of power to frustrate the course of justice by mounting pressure on Justice Nwite to step aside from the case so that it can be reassigned to judges perceived to be pliable and politically compliant.
Eereporter.com.
This sinister plot, if allowed to stand, represents a direct assault on the integrity of the judiciary and a dangerous escalation in the ongoing attempts to weaponise state institutions against the opposition.
Information available to the ADC Legal Team indicates that despite the fact that the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court judgment has not yet been released or formally communicated to the trial court, the matter has curiously been fixed before Justice Nwite for May 8, 2026.
We have credible reasons to believe that this unusual haste is part of a calculated scheme to force Justice Nwite into recusing himself, thereby creating an opening for the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to transfer the matter to judges allegedly considered more amenable to political influence.
This development runs contrary to both the spirit and letter of the directives earlier issued by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, which ordered an accelerated hearing of the matter by the substantive trial judge.
Any attempt to remove the case from Justice Nwite, whether by administrative manipulation, intimidation, blackmail, or coordinated pressure, amounts to a deliberate interference in the due administration of justice.
We must state unequivocally that judicial recusal is not a toy for political convenience. It is an extraordinary measure guided by law, facts, and established judicial principles, not by whispers from desperate political actors seeking favourable outcomes through the backdoor.
Even where petitions exist against a judicial officer, due process demands that all parties be notified and heard before any decision is taken. A judge does not abandon his constitutional duty merely because vested interests have manufactured allegations against him.
What is unfolding before Nigerians is an alarming attempt to bend the judiciary into an annex of partisan politics. The growing desperation to procure “friendly courts” and “convenient judges” poses a grave danger not only to opposition parties, but to the survival of constitutional democracy itself.
We therefore call on the National Judicial Council (NJC), the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and all men and women of conscience within the judiciary to urgently intervene and halt this dangerous descent into judicial compromise.
The ADC further calls on the National Judicial Council (NJC), the international community, and diplomatic missions in Nigeria to pay close attention to these dangerous developments and impress it upon the Nigerian government that democracy cannot survive where courts are manipulated to serve partisan interests.
The independence of the judiciary remains the bedrock of every democratic society, and any attempt by state actors to intimidate judges, influence judicial assignments, or interfere in politically sensitive cases strikes at the very heart of constitutional governance. Nigeria must not be allowed to slide into an era where justice is no longer determined by law, but by the whims of those who wield political power.

ADC
The collapse of democratic order in Nigeria’s First and Second Republics, as well as the tragic subversion of the June 12 mandate, cannot be discussed without reference to the shameful roles played by certain reckless judicial actors who wore the robes of judges by day and the garments of politicians by night.
Those currently entrusted with the sacred responsibility of administering justice must resist every attempt to drag the judiciary into the muddy waters of political conspiracy.
The judiciary must remain the last hope of the common man, and not the last refuge of desperate politicians terrified of justice.
Nigeria’s democracy is too fragile to survive another season of judicial recklessness.
Signed:
Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress
Abuja
7th May, 2026
News
IGP Disu Visits EIB Group, As Part Of Ongoing Efforts To Strengthen NPF Technological, Operational Capabilities
IGP Disu Visits EIB Group, As Part Of Ongoing Efforts To Strengthen NPF Technological, Operational Capabilities
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, psc(+), NPM, paid a working visit to EIB Group, led by its Chairman, Dr. Bright Echefu, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Nigeria Police Force’s technological and operational capabilities.
Eereporter.com
During the visit, the IGP toured key facilities including EIB Stratoc Limited, Idu (surveillance solutions), Poctova(security uniform production), Briech UAS, Kuje (drone manufacturing), and Giga Forensics, Idu (forensic and interception solutions).

IGP Disu Visits EIB Group
The visit underscored the Force’s commitment to leveraging innovative technologies and strategic partnerships with the private sector to enhance intelligence gathering, forensic capacity, and overall policing effectiveness in addressing contemporary security challenges
News
Ola Olukoyede Charges Students On Integrity In Abuja
Ola Olukoyede Charges Students On Integrity In Abuja
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede on Thursday, May 7, 2026, charged students of J.K Peoples Comprehensive Academy to imbibe the spirit of integrity, honesty and accountability in their daily lives and shun all forms of corruption and cybercrime.
He made the call in Abuja when officers of the Commission launched an Integrity Club at the school.
Olukoyede, who spoke through the Head, Radio Unit of the EFCC, Deputy Commander of the EFCC, DCE Nwanyinma Okeanu reiterated the need for committed action against corruption owing to the devastating consequences of the menace in Nigeria.
Eereporter.com
He stated that corruption was responsible for the stagnation, retardation, distortion and dislocation of growth and development in our nation. He charged them to understand the havocs being wrecked on the nation by corrupt practices and make concerted efforts to confront them.
“As students, you need to have deeper insights into the havoc being wrecked on our nation by the monster of corruption. In its simplest description, corruption is the compromise of rules, regulations, policies, standards and directive principles of running a system. It is deliberate use of public opportunities, resources and privileges for private gains. In any system where corruption holds sway, no progress of any kind can be made. Nigeria is in its present state owing to the cumulative effects of corrupt practices”, he said.
He took time to explain the various typologies of fraudulent dealings the EFCC is tackling. They include money laundering, embezzlement, forgery, advance fee fraud, contract scam, employment scam, land and property fraud, tax fraud, internet fraud, stealing, bribery, procurement fraud, banking fraud, among others. “All these crimes are variants of corrupt practices. Every form of internet fraud, such as romance scam, business email compromise, hacking, impersonation, forex scam and others are corrupt practices and must not be found among you”, he said.
Also Speaking, Head Enlightenment and Reorientation Unit of the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE11 Aisha Muhammed, reiterated the role children can play in the fight against corruption and cybercrime. She charged them to imbibe the spirit of integrity and shun all forms of corruption and other societal menace.
“Children are very important in the fight against corruption. What we are doing now is the preventive mandate of the EFCC and do you know why? You are the future of Nigeria. We have to mould you from now, we have to tell you the good, bad and the ugly. When we tell you all these, we also have to direct your perspective and position because you are an important stakeholder in this fight”, she said.
She further called on the students to shun all forms of corruption urging them to say “No” when the need arises, adding that through these interactions and enlightenment, students can learn how to say no.
“Continuing, Mohammed pointed out that, “You have to learn to say No, and one way to say No is for us to talk to you by creating an integrity club here for you to voice out. We try to instil the spirit of integrity in you, talk to you about societal menaces that are happening, new trends in cybercrime and we want you to be our partners, help us fight against corruption because your voices matter.”
Speaking on behalf of the School management, Patron of the school, Chijoke Okoro, appreciated the effort of the EFCC in installing the spirit of good moral conduct in the students and finding the school worthy for the establishment of an Integrity Club.

Ola Olukoyede
“We deeply appreciate your enlightenment lecture and your efforts towards establishing the Integrity Club in our school. The lessons and values you have imbibed in us today on integrity, honesty and accountability and the danger of corruption will surely leave a lasting impact on our students and staff.
It is our prayer that God will continue to strengthen and guide the EFCC in its mission of building a corrupt free society and inspiring young people to become responsible leaders of tomorrow’, he said.
Head Boy of the school, Marwan Aliyu, stated that the presence of the EFCC demonstrated its commitment to shaping the younger generation into responsible citizens who will stand against corruption and uphold truth and transparency in all areas of life.
He expressed optimism that the knowledge and values of anti-corruption will impact on the students positively and influence their character, academic life and future leadership roles.
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