Farida Mzamber Waziri
Encyclopedia
Chief Farida Mzamber Waziri was appointed Executive Chairperson of the Nigeria
n Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) in May 2008. She succeeded Nuhu Ribadu
in this post.
, Benue State
. She obtained her law degree from the University of Lagos
and obtained a Masters degree in Law from the Lagos State University
. In 1996, she gained a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan
. She is the author of Advance Fee Fraud, National Security and the Law.
Mrs. Waziri has been used as an alias for many email scams.
in Nigeria.
She led the West African delegation on Advance Fee Fraud to Lyons, France in 1996. She led the Nigeria delegation to Dallas, Texas for a seminar organized by the United State Secret Service in 1998.
when he was charged with corruption.
She was confirmed by President Umaru Yar'Adua as EFCC chairman in May 2008, but refused to accept the position until she had also been confirmed by the Senate.
The appointment to this sensitive position was controversial.
Shortly after her appointment, Waziri inspected the EFCC detention facilities to ascertain the conditions of suspects.
In September 2008 Waziri said that allegations of corruption by former president Olusegun Obasanjo and some former state governors could not be supported because the files did not exist or they had disappeared.
In August 2008, the EFCC arrested former National Deputy Chairman of the PDP Bode George
in Lagos and arraigned him and four others on a 163 count-charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, abuse of office and alleged illegal award of contracts worth N84 billion while he was chairman of the NPA.
In October 2009, Bode George was found guilty and sentenced to jail for 30 months.
In April 2009 Waziri said that the EFCC was making arrangements to extradite former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Mallam Nasir El-Rufai from the USA to face charges. She also said the President had approved the return to the Nigeria Police Force of insurance benefits that were part of the N17 billion recovered from the former Inspector General of Police Mustafa Adebayo Balogun
, although Alhaji Tafa Balogun was seeking the return of these assets. She said were 200 pending cases for corruption, money laundering, fraud, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
In June 2009, speaking at a press conference to mark her first year in office, Farida Waziri said the EFCC was continuing its efforts to prosecute former governors including Dr. Peter Odili
of Rivers State
, Senator Bola Tinubu
of Lagos State
, Ayo Fayose
of Ekiti State
, Joshua Dariye
of Plateau State
, Saminu Turaki
of Jigawa State
, Jolly Nyame
of Taraba State
and Michael Botmang
of Plateau State
. Other high-level suspects being pursued included Senator Nicholas Ugbane
and the former FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai. She expressed frustration at court delays in these cases. She also said she would start to crack down on property ownership cases in Abuja.
In May 2009 there were reports of a power struggle with EFCC Director of Operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunshaki, who had been sacked by Waziri, apparently involving James Ibori
, the Nigerian Attorney General, Mike Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Mbama Okiro
.
Also in May, the EFCC took into custody in connection with the N6 billion rural electrification contract scam Senate Committee Chairman on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbane
, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu
and others.
Later that year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission gave a list to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress
of 56 prominent Nigerians who allegedly had between them defrauded the nation of N243 billion.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is a Nigerian law enforcement agency that investigates financial crimes such as advance fee fraud and money laundering...
(EFCC) in May 2008. She succeeded Nuhu Ribadu
Nuhu Ribadu
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu is a former Nigerian government anti-corruption official. He was the pioneer Executive Chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , the government commission tasked with countering corruption and fraud...
in this post.
Background
Farida Mzamber Waziri was born on July 7, 1946 and raised in GbokoGboko
Gboko is a town in the Benue State of North-central Nigeria. The population is over 500,000, mostly Tiv people. It is the traditional capital of the Tiv tribe and it has the official residence of the Tor-Tiv, who is the paramount traditional ruler of the Tiv people spread in Benue, Taraba, Plateau...
, Benue State
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
. She obtained her law degree from the University of Lagos
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
and obtained a Masters degree in Law from the Lagos State University
Lagos State University
The Lagos State University - also known as LASU - was established in 1983 by the enabling Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, for the advancement of learning and establishment of academic excellence. The university caters for a population of over 61,000, enrolled in full-time and part-time programmes at...
. In 1996, she gained a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan
University of Ibadan
The University of Ibadan is the oldest Nigerian university, and is located five miles from the centre of the major city of Ibadan in Western Nigeria...
. She is the author of Advance Fee Fraud, National Security and the Law.
Mrs. Waziri has been used as an alias for many email scams.
Police career
Farida Waziri enlisted in the Nigeria Police Force in 1965 and rose to the position of Assistant Inspector General of Police. She held the positions of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), screening and selection, Assistant/Deputy Commissioner of Police Force C.I.D Alagbon, Lagos, Commissioner of Police, General Investigation and Commissioner of Police in charge of X-Squad. In this last position she was responsible for handling cases of bribery and corruption within the police force. She also served as Commissioner of Police (special fraud unit) in which role she recorded the first conviction for Advance Fee FraudAdvance fee fraud
An advance-fee fraud is a confidence trick in which the target is persuaded to advance sums of money in the hope of realizing a significantly larger gain...
in Nigeria.
She led the West African delegation on Advance Fee Fraud to Lyons, France in 1996. She led the Nigeria delegation to Dallas, Texas for a seminar organized by the United State Secret Service in 1998.
EFCC chairman
When being screened for the EFCC job by the Senate committee on anti-corruption, she denied that she had stood as surety for the former Benue State governor, Senator George AkumeGeorge Akume
George Akume is a Nigerian politician, a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was governor of Benue State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007 and was then elected to the Senate....
when he was charged with corruption.
She was confirmed by President Umaru Yar'Adua as EFCC chairman in May 2008, but refused to accept the position until she had also been confirmed by the Senate.
The appointment to this sensitive position was controversial.
Shortly after her appointment, Waziri inspected the EFCC detention facilities to ascertain the conditions of suspects.
In September 2008 Waziri said that allegations of corruption by former president Olusegun Obasanjo and some former state governors could not be supported because the files did not exist or they had disappeared.
In August 2008, the EFCC arrested former National Deputy Chairman of the PDP Bode George
Bode George
Olabode Ibiyinka George is a Nigerian politician who became Military Governor of Ondo State, and later Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, then national vice-chairman in the southwest zone of the People’s Democratic Party...
in Lagos and arraigned him and four others on a 163 count-charge of conspiracy, disobedience to lawful order, abuse of office and alleged illegal award of contracts worth N84 billion while he was chairman of the NPA.
In October 2009, Bode George was found guilty and sentenced to jail for 30 months.
In April 2009 Waziri said that the EFCC was making arrangements to extradite former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Mallam Nasir El-Rufai from the USA to face charges. She also said the President had approved the return to the Nigeria Police Force of insurance benefits that were part of the N17 billion recovered from the former Inspector General of Police Mustafa Adebayo Balogun
Mustafa Adebayo Balogun
Mustafa Adebayo Balogun, widely known as Tafa Balogun, was appointed Inspector General of the Nigerian Police in March 2002 and was forced to retire because of widespread charges of corruption in January 2005.-Background:...
, although Alhaji Tafa Balogun was seeking the return of these assets. She said were 200 pending cases for corruption, money laundering, fraud, illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandalism.
In June 2009, speaking at a press conference to mark her first year in office, Farida Waziri said the EFCC was continuing its efforts to prosecute former governors including Dr. Peter Odili
Peter Odili
Peter Otunuya Odili was the thirteenth Governor of Rivers State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party .-Background:...
of Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
, Senator Bola Tinubu
Bola Tinubu
Bola Ahmed Tinubu was elected Senator for the Lagos West constituency in Lagos State, Nigeria in 1993, just before a military take-over in December 1993. After the return to democracy, he was elected governor of Lagos State, holding office from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007...
of Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
, Ayo Fayose
Ayo Fayose
Peter Ayodele Fayose was governor of Ekiti State in Nigeria from 29 May 2003 to 16 October 2006,-Early life:Fayose attended Olivet Baptist High School, Oyo...
of Ekiti State
Ekiti State
Ekiti State is a state in southwest Nigeria, created on October 1, 1996 alongside five other new states by military dictator General Sani Abacha...
, Joshua Dariye
Joshua Dariye
Joshua Chibi Dariye assumed office as the Governor of Plateau State, Nigeria on May 29, 1999 on the platform of the People's Democratic Party...
of Plateau State
Plateau State
Plateau State is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is roughly located in the center of the country. It is geographically unique in Nigeria because its boundaries totally surround the Jos Plateau, having the Jos Plateau totally in its central and northern part...
, Saminu Turaki
Saminu Turaki
Alhaji Ibrahim Saminu Turaki is a Nigerian politician and former governor of Jigawa State in Nigeria. He was a Jigawa state chairman of SDP and UNCP .-Background:...
of Jigawa State
Jigawa State
-Location:Jigawa State is one of thirty-six states that constitute Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is situated in the north-western part of the country between latitudes 11.00oN to 13.00oN and longitudes 8.00oE to 10.15oE. Kano State and Katsina State border Jigawa to the west, Bauchi State to the...
, Jolly Nyame
Jolly Nyame
Jolly Tavoro Nyame was Governor of Taraba State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He also served as governor of the state from January 1992 to November 1993. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party -References:...
of Taraba State
Taraba State
Taraba State is a state of Nigeria, named after the Taraba River which traverses the southern part of the state. Taraba's capital is Jalingo.-History:...
and Michael Botmang
Michael Botmang
Chief Michael Botmang , former Plateau state deputy governor, was sworn in as governor of Plateau State following the impeachment of Chief Joshua Dariye on 13 November 2006....
of Plateau State
Plateau State
Plateau State is the twelfth largest state of Nigeria, and is roughly located in the center of the country. It is geographically unique in Nigeria because its boundaries totally surround the Jos Plateau, having the Jos Plateau totally in its central and northern part...
. Other high-level suspects being pursued included Senator Nicholas Ugbane
Nicholas Ugbane
Nicholas Ugbane is a formerNigerian senator who became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2003.In May 2009 he was held in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on account of alleged complicity in defrauding the Nigerian government of funds earmarked for rural...
and the former FCT Minister Nasir El-Rufai. She expressed frustration at court delays in these cases. She also said she would start to crack down on property ownership cases in Abuja.
In May 2009 there were reports of a power struggle with EFCC Director of Operations, Mr. Tunde Ogunshaki, who had been sacked by Waziri, apparently involving James Ibori
James Ibori
James Onanefe Ibori was the Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. He is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party . He was arguably the most vocal advocate for resource nationalism in Nigeria....
, the Nigerian Attorney General, Mike Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Mbama Okiro
Mike Mbama Okiro
Sir Mike Mbama Okiro was the Inspector General of the Nigeria Police Force from 2007 - 2009.-Background:Mike Okiro was born on July 24, 1949 in Oguta, Imo State...
.
Also in May, the EFCC took into custody in connection with the N6 billion rural electrification contract scam Senate Committee Chairman on Power, Senator Nicholas Ugbane
Nicholas Ugbane
Nicholas Ugbane is a formerNigerian senator who became a member of the Nigerian Senate in 2003.In May 2009 he was held in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on account of alleged complicity in defrauding the Nigerian government of funds earmarked for rural...
, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Power, Alhaji Abdullahi Aliyu
Abdullahi Aliyu
Dr. Abdullahi Aliyu is a Nigerian Civil servant who joined the Civil Service in August 1980 and became a Permanent Secretary in January 2001.In 2006, he was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science & Technology....
and others.
Later that year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission gave a list to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress
Nigeria Labour Congress
Nigeria Labour Congress is an umbrella organisation for trade unions in Nigeria. It was founded in 1978 following a merger of four different organisations: Nigeria Trade Union Congress , Labour Unity Front , United Labour Congress and Nigeria Workers Council . The numerous affiliated unions were...
of 56 prominent Nigerians who allegedly had between them defrauded the nation of N243 billion.