A businessman, Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, has told a Lagos Federal High Court, how a customer introduced to him by the United Bank For Africa (UBA) Plc, it’s two officials duped him by selling fake $900, 000 USD, in a fraudulent forex deal.
Ezenwa, who is the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Vinna Investment Limited, made the revelation while giving evidence during the trial of UBA, it’s two officials, a businessman and his company named in the alleged crimes.
The defendants in the charge are: Chibueze Ojeh; Obinna Nwosu; Emeka Njoku, Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited and United Bank for Africa (UBA).
The defendants who are standing trial before the court on a five-count amended charge of alleged conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money under false pretence and issuance of dud cheques,by the office of the Inspector-General of Police, in a charge marked FHC/AWK/C/25/2020
At the resumed of trial on July 23, 2024, the prosecutor, Mr. Simon Lough (SAN) a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) informed the court that the defendants were being prosecuted on a third amended charge, adding that it is time that the case be heard expeditiously.
The first prosecution witness, Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, while being led in evidence by the prosecutor stated that he was called sometime in 2014 by his account officer in UBA that a customer had dollars totalling $1.9 million USD to sell.
Led in evidence by the prosecutor, the witness said his Account Officer, was aware Ezenwa needed dollars to send to Italy for the importation of toothpaste.
He testified that he quickly called his company accountant to go to UBA Aba branch to confirm the situation. The latter did.
Chief Ezenwa in his evidence said: “I then went to meet the UBA Branch manager, Account Officer and the customer that wanted to sell the dollars, together with my company’s account.
“I bought the total sum of $1.9 million USD as recommended by UBA but the total sum of $950,000 of it was fake.
“I demanded that my money be returned to me, but every effort proved abortive,” Ezenwa added.
But Dr. Dada A. Awosika (SAN), counsel to the first defendant, objected to tendering of some documents, following which the prosecution counsel urged the court to adjourn the case to a further date to enable him to regularise the position
Consequently, Justice Dipeolu adjourned further trial to November 12 and 14, 2024 for further trial.
The 5 Counts Which Is The 3rd Amended Charge the Defendants Read: “that you Chibueze Ojeh ‘M’ 40 years MD/CEO of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited of Lekki County Homes, Westend Estate Road 4, House 4 Lekki Lagos state, Obinna Nwosu ‘M’ 45 years of No. 1 Shofidiya Close, Adegoke Estate, Masha Roundabout Surulere Lagos, Emeka Njoku ‘M’ 41 years former Staff and marketer with United Bank for Africa Pic, of No. 3 Azikiwe Road Port Harcourt, Castle Equipment & Logistics Ltd and United Bank for Africa Plc; Onyinyechi Oraegbunem ‘F’ former branch manager of UBA Pic Aba branch and Pamela Onaga ‘F’ former staff of UBA/account officer to Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, now at large, between 3rd April 2013 and 31st June, 2013 in Lagos and Aba within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court while acting in concert and with intent to defraud Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited conspired together to commit felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance fee fraud and other related offences Act 2006.
“That you Chibueze Ojeh ‘M’ 40 years MD/CEO of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited of Lekki County Homes, Westend Estate Road 4, House 4 Lekki Lagos state, Obinna Nwosu ‘M’ 45 years of No. 1 Shofidiya Close, Adegoke Estate, Masha Roundabout Surulere Lagos, Emeka Njoku ‘M’ 41 years former Staff and marketer with United Bank for Africa Pic, of No. 3 Azikiwe Road Port Harcourt, Castle Equipment & Logistics Ltd and United Bank for Africa Pic; Onyinyechi Oraegbunem ‘F’ former branch manager of UBA Aba branch and Pamela Onaga ‘F’ former staff of UBA Plc Aba branch/account officer to Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, now at large, between 3rd April, 2013 and 31st June 2013 in Lagos and Aba, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court while acting in concert and with intent to defraud Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited deceitfully induced Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa that you have dollars to sell to him at a lower rate of N159. 00 per Dollar and deceitfully collected a total sum of N294, 150, 000,00 (Two hundred and Ninety four Million, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira) Equivalent to $1,850,000 Dollars (one million eight hundred fifty Thousand United States Dollars) from him on the pretence that you will transfer the Dollars equivalent to his customers in Italy but having collected the total sum of N294, 150, 000, 00 (Two hundred and Ninety four Million, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira) you transfer only $900, 000 Dollars, equivalent to N143, 100, 000.00 (one hundred and forty three Million, one hundred thousand Naira) and converted $950, 000 Dollars, equivalent to N151, 050,000.00 (one hundred and fifty one Million and fifty Thousand Naira) to your use, you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance fee fraud and other related offences Act 2006.
“That you Chibueze Ojeh ‘M’ 40 years MD/CEO of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited of Lekki County Homes, Westend Estate Road 4, House 4 Lekki Lagos state and Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited, between 3rd April, 2013 and 31st June 2013 in Lagos and Aba within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court while acting in concert and with Intent to defraud Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited deceitfully induced Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa that you have Dollars to sell to him at the rate N159.00 per Dollar and deceitfully collected a total sum of N294,150,000,00 (Two hundred and Ninety four Million, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira) Equivalent to $1, 850, 000.00 (one million eight hundred fifty Thousand United States Dollars) from him on the pretence that you will transfer the Dollars equivalent to his customers in Italy, but having collected the total sum of N294, 150, 000,00 (Two hundred and Ninety four Million, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira) you transfer only $900, 000 Dollars, equivalent to N143, 100,000.00 (one hundred and forty three Million, one hundred thousand Naira) to his customers and converted $950,000 Dollars, Equivalent to N151, 050, 000.00 (one hundred and fifty one Million and fifty Thousand Naira) which you shared with your cohorts, you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance fee fraud and other related offences Act 2006.
“That you Emeka Njoku ‘m’ 41 years, former staff and marketer with United Bank for Africa Pic, of No. 3 Azikiwe Road Port Harcourt, United Bank For Africa Pic 57 Marina Lagos; Onyinyechi Oraegbunem ‘f’ former branch manager of UBA Aba branch and Pamela Onaga ‘f’ former staff of UBA/account officer to Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, now at large, between 3rd April, 2013 and 31st June 2013 in Lagos and Aba, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court while acting in concert as staff of UBA Pic and with intent to defraud Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited aids and abets Chibueze Ojeh ‘M’ 40 years MD/CEO of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited of Lekki County Homes, Westend Estate road 4 House 4 Lekki Lagos state and Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited to commit the offence of obtaining money by false pretence, by inducing Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa that Chibueze Ojeh and Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited has Dollars to sell to him at the rate of N159.00 per Dollar and based on that deceit Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa transferred a total sum of N294,150,000,00 (Two hundred and Ninety four Million, one hundred and fifty thousand Naira) from his UBA Plc account in Aba branch to the UBA Pic account of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited in Lagos Which was amount withdrawn by Chibueze Ojeh to purchase $1, 850, 000 Dollars and having purchased $1, 850, 000 Dollars, transferred only $900, 000 Dollars to his customers in Italy and converted $950,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars) to his use, you thereby committed an offence contrary to section to section 8(a) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance fee fraud and other related offences Act 2006.
“That you Obinna Nwosu ‘M’ 45 years of No. 1 Shofidiya Close, Adegoke Estate, Masha Roundabout Surulere Lagos on or about 19th August, 2013 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable issued Chibueze Ojeh MD/CEO of Cradle Energy Ltd and Cradle Energy Ltd five posted Cheques of Fidelity Bank Pic and First Bank Pic totalling N48, 900, 00. 00 (Forty Eight Million, Nine hundred Thousand Naira) in repayment of the of part of the money Chibueze Ojeh Fraudulently collected from Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited, which were all presented on the 21st August 2013 and returned dishonoured and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act CAP D11 LFN 2004.”
