The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has re-arraigned a former managing director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank Limited), Francis Atuche, and two others before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony and forgery.
Atuche and the two others, Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike were arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.
When the charge was read to the defendants, they all pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, told the court that the matter is starting de novo and therefore asked the court for a trial date.
Counsel to the first defendant, Anthony Ejere, however, asked the court to allow his client to enjoy the earlier bail granted him by the court, despite that he was still a convict in another matter.
Also, counsel to the second and third defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN) asked the court to allow his clients to enjoy the earlier bail granted them by the court.
In her short ruling, Justice Fadipe upheld the request of their counsels that they be allowed to continue on the bail granted them by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (rtd).
The court adjourned the case till May 6, 2025, for trial.
How It Started
Atuche and the two other suspects were originally arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru before his elevation as a Justice of the Court of Appeal & subsequently as a Justice of the Supreme Court.
The case consequently started afresh before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (who has now retired) hence the transfer of the case file to Justice Abike-Fadipe.
Troubles started for Atuche when he contacted Joachim Nnosiri, an office assistant with Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre in Lagos, to deliver some allegedly forged documents to the Bank’s corporate headquarters also in Lagos for onward presentation in court as exhibits in an ongoing case between Atuche and EFCC. The alleged forged documents are said to be board resolutions of Future View Securities Limited; Extra Oil Limited and Trajek Nigeria Limited. The documents had been missing from the bank since October 2009.
One of the counts against the defendants read, “Mr Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike on or about 4th day of March 2013, in Lagos with the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud ,conspired to commit felony to wit: forgery of a document titled: “BOARD RESOLUTION” of Future View Securities Limited dated 17th December 2007.
Another count read, “Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi) on or about 4th day of March 2013 in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division with intent to defraud knowingly and fraudulently used a false document titled Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited dated 15th December 2007 which you purported to have been duly signed by one Elizabeth Ebi (a Director of Trajek Nigeria Limited) to Keystone Bank Limited as genuine”.
