Criminal Law

EFCC arraigns fraudsters with Trump lawyer’s letter, attempted €49m scam on First Bank

Ogunsakin Mustapha
Ogunsakin Mustapha
3 Min Read

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned two fraudsters, Abel Sokari and Nkeiruka Chukwuma, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court for allegedly attempting to fraudulently obtain €49 million from First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), and being in possession of a  document bearing the name of Steven H. Sadow P.C, lawyer to President Donald Trump of the United States (US).

Sokari and Chukwuma were arraigned alongside a company, Zakah Global Investment Ltd on a six-count charge bordering on attempted fraud, possession of fraudulent documents and forgery.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following their plea, EFCC counsel, Ms Hanatu Kofarnaisa requested the court to fix a date for their trial. She also urged the court to remand the defendants in custody pending the commencement of trial.

However, counsel to the first and second defendants, Mr Clement Onwenwnor (SAN) and Mr Laolu Owolabi (SAN), informed the court of their pending bail applications and urged the court to grant bail to the defendants on liberal terms.

- Advertisement -

The counsel further undertook to take custody of the defendants pending the perfection of their bail conditions.

Justice Mojisola Dada, thereafter granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N500,000 each, with one surety each in like sum.

Dada stated that the sureties must be gainfully employed and must show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government. She added that the bail conditions must be perfected within one month.

The court also temporarily released the defendants to their respective counsel, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.

In one of the counts, the EFCC alleged that on May 19, the defendants attempted to fraudulently obtain €49 million from FBN by falsely claiming Bayan Investment Bank transferred the funds into Zakah Global Investment Ltd.’s account.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that in April 2024, the defendants possessed a letter purportedly from Steven H. Sado P.C., Donald Trump’s lead defence counsel, which they knew to be a false representation. “That you Abel Egerton Sokari and Nkiruka Chukwuma sometime in April 2024 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences contravene Sections 1(1)(a), 1(3), 8(a), and 6(1)(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 365 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
The court adjourned the case until Oct. 29 for trial.
(NAN)

Dear readers, we really need your support to keep on serving you with authoritative, truthful, and juicy stories everyday. For your support, please reach out to the editor @gavelinternational66@gmail.com

- Advertisement -

TAGGED:
Share This Article

The gavel

News and Social Justice

Welcome to The Gavel International, your authoritative source for comprehensive coverage of the criminal justice system in Nigeria.

At The Gavel International, we are dedicated to shedding light on the intricate workings of the Nigerian legal system and the broader criminal justice landscape. Our mission is to inform, educate, and advocate for transparency, accountability, and fairness in the pursuit of justice.

© The Gavel International 2023. All rights reserved. All content on this website, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, and multimedia, is the property of The Gavel International and is protected by copyright law. No part of this website may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of The Gavel International, except for non-commercial use as permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests or inquiries, please contact The Gavel International (info@thegavel.com.ng). Unauthorized use or reproduction of our content without permission may result in legal action in accordance with applicable copyright laws.