EFCC Charges Onitsha Market Chairman, Okoli for Alleged N6.7m Fraud

In a recent development, the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has initiated legal proceedings against Obinna Calistus Okoli, the Chairman of the Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association.

Okoli stands accused before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, for allegedly obtaining funds under false pretences to the tune of N6,700,000.

The arraignment, which took place on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, saw Okoli and the Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association facing a two-count charge related to fraudulent activities involving the aforementioned sum of money.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Obinna Calistus Okoli, whilst being Chairman of the Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association, and Onitsha/Odekpe Plastic Market Association between May 2018 and July 2020 in Onitsha, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, induced one Mr. Joseph Okechukwu Enyiuche to deliver to you the sum of N6,700,000 under the pretence that you would allocate to him four shops in the proposed lock-up stalls/shops to be built at watermelon land, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”

Both Okoli and the association pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.

Following their pleas, the EFCC’s counsel, Nuradeen Shehu Ingawa, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in the Correctional Centre. The defence counsel, E.O. Igowe, made an oral application for bail, which was contested by Ingawa, who reminded the court of its status as a court of records.

Subsequently, Justice Dimgba adjourned the matter to Friday, February 16, 2024, for the hearing of the bail application, and ordered the defendants to be remanded in EFCC custody pending further proceedings.

The arrest of Okoli by the EFCC followed a petition alleging that he fraudulently obtained N6,700,000 from a petitioner under the guise of securing four lock-up shops at a proposed mall to be constructed on watermelon land in Anambra State. The petitioner claimed that despite making payments for the shops, Okoli failed to allocate them, and all attempts to recover the funds proved futile.

The case underscores the EFCC’s commitment to tackling financial crimes and holding individuals accountable for fraudulent activities. It also highlights the importance of due process and the rule of law in addressing such matters within the Nigerian legal system.

As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains imperative for all parties involved to uphold the principles of justice, fairness, and transparency. The outcome of the trial will not only determine the fate of the accused but also serve as a precedent in combating similar fraudulent practices across the country’s markets and commercial sectors.