https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOLrhoMTEsk

A young Nigerian Jude Bela has won the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the appellate court for illegal detention, and confiscation of his properties all in the name of "he's too young to make money from Google Adsense"

According to the video shared by Jude Bela on his YouTube page, trouble started back in 2019 when the EFCC ordered 2 Nigerian banks UBA and Polaris banks to freeze all his accounts on suspicion of money laundering. He was invited to the EFCC office where he was later detained for four days and thereafter his house was searched where the EFCC took his house and business documents and later seized his cars and house.

According to Bela, he showed EFCC his source of income which is Google Adsense from YouTube but the argument from EFCC was that he was too young to have such an amount. After much frustration by EFCC and its refusal to charge him to court, he decided to sue the EFCC at the federal high court where he won the case against the gross violation of his human rights. The case was appealed by EFCC at the appeal court and the appellate court also upheld the judgement of the high court.

During this trauma period, he lost everything, his business, joy and YouTube channel

Watch the emotional video above:

This is how the law enforcement agencies are extorting and frustrating law-abiding innocent Nigerians

EFCC Thought YouTuber Jude Bela Was Into Fraud — Then They Asked Him for $5,000 Bribe

Jude Bela, a young Nigerian YouTuber, told FIJ his harrowing ordeal with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) since 2019.

“I found YouTube in my final year when I was at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi. I needed money at the time so I decided to learn everything about YouTube,” Bela said.

“After a while of being consistent with what I did, my YouTube channel blew up, so I scaled up the social ladder by buying a car, properties and even got married.

“I even started a supermarket business with part of the money I made from YouTube. With the media, I started a challenge called the ‘million naira[/b]’, challenge where people would discuss the ideas they have and a winner would be selected.

“To me, that was a way of giving back; I thought I was helping my community.”

[b]THE PHONE CALL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

“On March 8, 2019, I suddenly got a call from my bank that my account had been frozen. The first question the bank official asked was if I had a quarrel with anyone and I responded in the negative,” Bela told FIJ.

“According to a friend of mine who was a manager in the bank, he said the order for my accounts to be frozen came from Johnson Babalola, the head of the EFCC Makurdi Zonal Office.

“I didn’t believe what was going on because I knew I hadn’t committed any offence. However, when I couldn’t access any of my accounts I knew it was real and had to call a lawyer.”

Because the freeze order came on a Friday, Bela had to wait till the following Monday to go to the EFCC office with his statement of accounts and other relevant documents.

“It was the longest weekend of my entire life as I kept questioning myself time and again thinking I had unknowingly committed a financial crime,” the youtuber narrated.

“My lawyer and I both went to the EFCC Makurdi Zonal office that Monday, March 11. The EFCC officials started questioning me at a point; they continued the questioning for over five hours.

“I was tired and wanted to go home when Mr. Iyke, the investigative officer, said I was being investigated for fraud and money laundering. They also said they got an order to remand me in their cell but they would search my house for more evidence.

“I was terrified and had no words to say. Before I knew what was going on, I was put into their van and driven back to my house.”

THE HUMILIATING SEARCH

Bela narrated his humiliating experience with the EFCC thereafter.

“They searched through my whole house while turning it upside down. They even searched through my wife’s undies. It was so humiliating. My neighbours stared at me as though I was a criminal,” Bela said.

“They took away all my documents like my car documents and land papers including my MacBook for forensic check. I was taken back to their office and was locked up in one of their cells. The first night of being locked up was horrifying as I didn’t know what I was doing there.

“The next morning, the investigative officers came for me and took me for more interrogations. The EFCC panel of four started bombarding me with questions whilst trying to intimidate me.

“I explained everything about how my channel worked and the adverts which I was been paid for. I even showed them the videos I made, which were mostly about politics and injustice.

“They already convicted me for a crime I didn’t commit. The next thing I knew was one of them telling me they needed to get my gang and if I could whistle-blow on my friends, they would let me go.” "I explained everything about how my channel worked and the adverts which I was been paid for. I even showed them the videos I made, which were mostly about politics and injustice.

“I wondered what they were saying because I only run a Youtube channel. I don’t need a gang to run Youtube videos for crying out loud,” Bela exclaimed.

“At a point, they called my friends to come to their office and they came thinking they were there to help me; they got locked up also. Two of my friends even missed their exams in the university because they were locked up for two days.

“I called for my dad and brother at a point to help me file for bail but it was futile as the officers told them that they were ready to teach me and my friends a lesson.

“Even my investigative officer confided in me that they had no incriminating evidence on me and that he had informed the Zonal Head who kept telling him to find something. He even asked to release me but the Zonal Head said not to.”

“On the third day, I got a new lawyer who advised me to stay silent. He then filed for bail but it was denied at first but after some pressure by the lawyer, the bail was finally granted. I spent a total of four days locked up in their cell and got released on Thursday, March 14,” Bela said.

“However, the intimidation and harassments from EFCC never stopped, as they kept calling me at odd hours to ask me about things I had already told them about. They even forced my wife to come in for questioning to verify everything I had said.”

Due to the intimidation he suffered at the hands of the EFCC officials, Bela resolved to sue them to unfreeze his account and also release his property in their custody.

“I thought the court case would be easy but it wasn’t as I was faced with different oppositions. After each court hearing, I would get calls and texts from friends and random people that I should not go against the system,” Bela told FIJ.

“EFCC’s defence was that I was making a lot of money and I couldn’t defend the source. According to them, my bank activities were suspicious for my age so I had to prove to them that I was not into fraud.

THE REQUEST FOR KICKBACKS

Bela went on to say officials of the commission would later start demanding for bribe from him.

“During the hearing, an agent of the EFCC visited me in my house and advised me to settle it out of court as there was no way I could win a lawsuit against them.

“On another occasion, I got a call from a man who claimed to be a Mr. Jerry, working at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, who said he had picked an interest in my case. He said he was one of the guys tasked to check my laptop for forensic evidence. He tried to bargain with me to tip them $5,000 and they would unfreeze my account and release my properties but I refused.”

“After three months in court, the judge upheld the decision in my favour that the EFCC couldn’t freeze an account for more than 72 hours. Mine was frozen for three months without a court order and for no just cause. She ordered them to unfreeze my accounts, release my properties and awarded me some damages,” Bela said.

“I was awarded N5 million by the court at first instance. Then I started getting calls from different individuals…I wasn’t feeling safe again so my wife and I relocated to Abuja.

“I later received another summons from the Court of Appeal as the awards granted to me were disputed by all parties. I had not even been paid yet and I was being asked to spend afresh to defend the case again. The appeal court dragged the case from 2019 till 2022.

“The higher court upheld the decision of the high court but slashed the awarded sum to N1.5 million. It didn’t even cover half the cost I had incurred while pursuing the case.”

“I lost everything. I lost my business because of lack of funds. I lost my peace because I was constantly been targeted that I had to relocate. I lost some friendships because the case took a toll on me,” Bela said.

“I even lost the YouTube channel that started all these in the first place, as my channel was taken down.

“Did I really get justice after all is said and done? The agents that did all these to me are still out there and nothing was done to them as the awards granted by the courts have not been honoured yet.”

https://fij.ng/article/efcc-thought-youtuber-jude-bela-was-into-fraud-then-they-asked-him-for-5000-bribe/

Hope they get to pay for damages

Normal

odinaccess:
Hope they get to pay for damages

High court awarded 100m Naira damages, Appeal court slashed to 75 million and the young man is crying that the legal fee from high court to appeal court is more than what the appeal court awarded

This is how the system can run dry a source of beauty...

Okay

ediko5:


High court awarded 100m Naira damages, Appeal court slashed to 75 million and the young man is crying that the legal fee from high court to appeal court is more than what the appeal court awarded

Lol. He should be worried about EFCC paying the 75 mill.

Imagine.... So me way just start to earn dollars through remote jobs go soon be an endangered species Na.... I dey wait for them.... Mad people

And they will say nigeria youths are lazy abi,

idiotic breeds of goats.

@ Lalasticlala
Seun

Our security agencies are too ignorant. Are they educated at all? Maybe they know these things but choose to feign ignorance just to extort citizens.

Everything is yahoo to them.

pocohantas:
Our security agencies are too ignorant. Are they educated at all? Maybe they know these things but choose to feign ignorance just to extort citizens.

Everything thing is yahoo to them.

You must give us our cut.

This is why the fg is so desperate to force all these companies to have Nigerian offices

So that govt officials can now start inserting themselves as rentiers.

Bastards

Meanwhile let me call efcc now to report one small geh with mouse voice that is earning dollar. The geh has been catfishing as an old spinster because she is too small to earn this big money

I believe one of those jealous Nigerians must have reported him to EFCC or he broke money laundering laws unknowingly, could also be a witch hunt because of his political content.

The lawyer who was suppose to protect him was already incapacitated when she saw her bank client and partner ( conflict of interest)

Efcc took action, they knew he was legit that is why they couldn't sue him to court but they wanted to frustrate him.

They guy sue them back and won but i doubt they will give him one dime for damages.

thebosstrevor1:
I believe one of those jealous Nigerians must have reported him to EFCC or he broke money laundering laws unknowingly.

The lawyer who was suppose to protect him was already incapacitated when she saw her bank client and partner ( conflict of interest)

Efcc took action, they knew he was legit that is why they couldn't sue him to court but they wanted to frustrate him.

They guy sue them back and won but i doubt they will give him one dime for damages.

He didn't break any laundering law.
You can receive payment for services rendered as much as you can as far as it's not a criminal activities all the authority need to do is to report the transaction for verification.

EFCC had no evidence and that's why they couldn't take him to court first.

If you watch the video, the first lawyer was an accomplice of the EFCC

ediko5:


High court awarded 100m Naira damages, Appeal court slashed to 75 million and the young man is crying that the legal fee from high court to appeal court is more than what the appeal court awarded

The money was slashed by 75% by the appeal court, that means he is getting 25% = 25m

ediko5:


He didn't break any laundering law.
You can receive payment for services rendered as much as you can as far as it's not a criminal activities all the authority need to do is to report the transaction for verification.

EFCC had no evidence and that's why they couldn't take him to court first.

If you watch the video, the first lawyer was an accomplice of the EFCC

I literally wrote Or, it is a guess.

True, you can receive any amount of money but seems maybe he deposited more than 5m and the banks reported to efcc

Btw, i watched the video, the female lawyer wasn't an accomplice of Efcc but she had conflict of interest because her clients was also one of the bank, instead of her to professional tell the guy that she wont be able to carry on with the case, she decided to act unprofessionally.

Next time, he should learn to stop keeping money in the banks....banks are not your friends.

All those useless uneducated idiots that fool EFCC, That's how they reason! Especially the quota system group!

ediko5:


High court awarded 100m Naira damages, Appeal court slashed to 75 million and the young man is crying that the legal fee from high court to appeal court is more than what the appeal court awarded

He didn't get 100m Naira... watch the story.
Also, the Appeal Court slashed the awarded sum the Federal High Court by 75% meaning he would only get 25% of it.

Nothing beats working for yourself to achieve financial freedom and security.


Things have been too rough for me over the years, it's killing and dampening my spirit. I pray Help comes to me.

Amazing!! Pls subscribe to my youtube channel (melanin playboy)

Hmm

They wanted to frustrate him. Thank God I am a youtuber. It’s a legit means of income. Can’t wait to soon be earning from YouTube and be free. But in d meantime I need a job badly

Best thing is for him to move out of Nigeria and go to Ghana or UK and keep shooting his videos.. imagine a pastor and a local government chairman and efcc agent trying to make him give them 5000$. Out of his legitimate earnings or is it easy to come up with contents, face the fear of FOPO (fear of other people opinions) face the camera and hit record?

Countless days of drinking garri and groundnut.
His channel was was shut down but he will bounce back again. Any Efcc way come harass me will face d same embarrassment in court and more. That’s why it’s good to be legit o

Good at making sure

Useless people

ediko5:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOLrhoMTEsk

A young Nigerian Jude Bela has won the Nigeria Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the appellate court for illegal detention, and confiscation of his properties all in the name of "he's too young to make money from Google Adsense"

According to the video shared by Jude Bela on his YouTube page, trouble started back in 2019 when the EFCC ordered 2 Nigerian banks UBA and Polaris banks to freeze all his accounts on suspicion of money laundering. He was invited to the EFCC office where he was later detained for four days and thereafter his house was searched where the EFCC took his house and business documents and later seized his cars and house.

According to Bela, he showed EFCC his source of income which is Google Adsense from YouTube but the argument from EFCC was that he was too young to have such an amount. After much frustration by EFCC and its refusal to charge him to court, he decided to sue the EFCC at the federal high court where he won the case against the gross violation of his human rights. The case was appealed by EFCC at the appeal court and the appellate court also upheld the judgement of the high court.

During this trauma period, he lost everything, his business, joy and YouTube channel

Watch the emotional video above:



https://fij.ng/article/efcc-thought-youtuber-jude-bela-was-into-fraud-then-they-asked-him-for-5000-bribe/

Buhari and APC Government are Anti- people, especially the young

I am happy he won against EFCC but my worry is that they may never pay him 1 kobo.

This country ehn!