Three Men Charged Over N10 Billion Bank Fraud Attempt

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged three men in the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. They are accused of trying to fraudulently take N10 billion from Fidelity Bank Plc using fake documents and lies.

The accused are Ibeh Emmanuel, Chidiebere Ihekoronye, and Akubuo Chimuanya. They appeared in court on Wednesday. Another suspect, Austen Peaks Aniekan, is said to be on the run.

They faced Judge Olubusola Okunuga on five charges. These include conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, having fake documents, and forgery.

The EFCC claims the men worked together to get N10 billion from Fidelity Bank. They allegedly used forged documents and made false claims to help transfer the money.

One charge states that on or around 16 April, the men tried to get the money by claiming that Maton Engineering Limited had issued an order to block and transfer the funds. This order was supposedly in favour of Prospera Finance Limited, which holds an account with Wema Bank Plc.

The EFCC says this claim was false. The defendants knew it was not true when they made it.

The commission also claims the men tried to get the money based on this false order and representation.

The alleged crimes go against Sections 1(1)(a), 8(a), and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act from 2006.

The EFCC also accused Ibeh Emmanuel of having a fake document from Fidelity Bank. This document supposedly confirmed that N10 billion in blocked funds existed for Prospera Finance Limited, which Ibeh allegedly knew was not true.

In another count, the defendants were charged with forging a document titled "Confirmation of Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000.00) Blocked Funds in Favour of Prospera Finance Limited." This document was claimed to be from Fidelity Bank Plc.

The EFCC says this document was made without legal authority, violating Section 365(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State from 2015.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all five charges.

After their plea, the prosecution lawyer, A.A. Usman, asked the court to set a trial date. He also requested that the defendants be held in a correctional facility while their bail applications are considered.

Mr Okunuga ordered that the defendants be held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre. He postponed the case until 18 June for the bail hearing and the start of the trial.

The EFCC stated that investigations into the N10 billion fraud are still ongoing. They are also working hard to catch the fourth suspect, Austen Peaks Aniekan, who is still on the run.