- ICPC arraigns three ex-officials of El-Rufai today over alleged N64m fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has filed a 13-count criminal charge against the Chairman, Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko and a former Managing Director of First Bank, Olabisi Onasanya for allegedly obtaining the sum of N12.3bn from First Bank.
They are to be arraigned on Monday, January 20 before Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
They will be arraigned alongside, a former member of the board of directors of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Soji Akintayo and a company linked to Otudeko, named Anchorage Leisure Ltd.
All four were listed as defendants in the suit filed by an EFCC prosecutor, Bilkisu Buhari-Bala on January 16, 2025.
According to the EFCC, the four committed the fraud in tranches of N5.2b, N6.2b, N6.150b, N1.5b and N500 million, between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos.
In proof of the charge against the defendants, the EFCC intends to call representatives of First Bank including Cecelia Majekodunmi, Ola Michael Aderogba, Abiodun Olatunji, Raymond Eze, Abiodun Odunbola and Adeeyo David all of whom are expected to give evidence of the fraudulent misrepresentation of the Defendants and tender relevant documents.
The EFCC will also rely on the testimonies of representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, representatives of Stallion Nigeria Limited and representatives of V-tech Dynamics Ltd.
Also included in the EFCC’s list of witnesses are one Farida Abubakar and Adaeze Nwakoby.
According to the Commission, the offences contravene Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and were punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
Count 1 of the charge says that Chief Oba Otudeko, Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, Soji Akintayo and Anchorage Leisure Limited between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to obtain the sum of N12,300,000,000.00 (Twelve Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira Only),from First Bank Limited on the pretense that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V- Tech Dynamic Links Limited and Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
In Count 2, it was alleged that the defendants, on or about 26th day of November, 2013 in Lagos, “obtained the sum of N5.2 Billion from First Bank Limited on the pretense that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V Tech Dynamic Links Limited which representation you know to be false.”
The 3rd count claims that the defendants, between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, obtained N6.2 Billion from First Bank Limited on the pretense that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for and disbursed to Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false.”
County 4 reads, that you, Chief Oba Otudeko, Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, Soji Akintayo and Anchorage Leisure Limited on or about 26th day of November 2013 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to use the total sum of N6,150,000,000,.00 (Six Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Million Naira Only), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 18(a), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
Count 5 accuses Chief Oba Otudeko, Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, Soji Akintayo and Anchorage Leisure Limited on or about 11th day of December, 2013 in Lagos, procured Honeywell Flour Mills Plc to retain the sum of N1.5 billion, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: Obtaining by False Pretense and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(c), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
ICPC arraigns three ex-officials of El-Rufai today over alleged N64m fraud
In the same vein, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission will on Friday (today) arraign three ex-appointees of former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, in a fresh N64 million money laundering charge.
The ex-appointees are former Senior Special Adviser/Counsellor, Lawal Shakiru Olajimi Adebisi; a former Accountant General of Kaduna State, Umar Waziri and the former Finance Commissioner in the state, Yusuf Inuwa.
Also joined as a defendant is Solar Life Nigeria Limited, a company whose bank account was believed to have received the alleged diverted fund.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Kaduna Judicial division, ICPC is accusing Lawal of conniving with the two other defendants to have diverted the total sum of N64,800,562, in three tranches of N10,000,000.00, N47,840,000.00 and N7,320,562.00 to the bank account of Solar Life Nigeria Limited where Lawal is believed to be the sole signatory.
According to a statement by the Director, Public Enlightenment and Education/spokesperson for the Commission, Demola Bakare, the defendants are expected to appear in court on Friday, January 17, 2025 to take their plea.
The ICPC, had last week in a separate charge, arraigned the former Chief of Staff and Commissioner for Finance in Kaduna State, Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, over alleged offences bordering on money laundering.
The commission, in a two-count charge, also filed before the Federal High Court in Kaduna, accused Sa’idu of accepting a cash payment of N155,000,000 from Ibrahim Muktar, a public officer in the Ministry of Finance.
