EFCC arraigned man for N 72m cement fraud in Enugu

Glory Ebomah

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Enugu Zonal Command today, Wednesday, July 19, 2023, arraigned one Obiorah Anthony Emelife before Justice C.O Ajah of Enugu State High Court, Enugu for alleged Seventy-two Million Naira fraud.

The defendant was arrested sometime in 2023 following a petition that he allegedly defrauded one Atansi Obinna (now deceased) over a cement business.

Head, Media and Publication, EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said the investigation revealed that the defendant diverted the money meant for the purchase of hundreds of bags of cement.

One of the charges read: “That you OBIORAH ANTHONY EMELIFE between 15th November 2022 to 16th December 2022 at Enugu State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the aggregate sum of Four Million, One Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira (N4,180,000.00) property of Nweke Juliana Ugo, the said sum being payment for the purchase of 1,100 bags of cement and thereby committed an offence of stealing by conversion contrary to section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Revised Edition, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 353 (1) of the same law.”

Another count reads, “That you, OBIORAH ANTHONY EMELIFE between September 2022 to December 2022 at Enugu State within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable court did commit a felony to wit: Stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the aggregate sum of Forty-Five  Million Naira (N45,000.000.00), property of Obinna Atansi, the said sum being payment for the purchase of bags cement from customers, thereby committed an offence of stealing by conversion contrary to section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Revised Edition, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under section 353 (1) of the same law.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him. In view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Edozie Raymond prayed the court to remand the defendant to the Correctional Centre and fix a date for trial to enable the prosecution to prove its case.

However, the defence counsel made an oral application for bail. After listening to both counsels, Justice Ajah ordered the remand of the defendant at the Enugu Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to July 20, 2023.