On Monday, the Abuja Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charged a former banker, Victor Joseph, and one Ahmad Aliyu with N110 million in money laundering.
On Tuesday, the EFCC issued a statement via its official X feed.
According to the statement, the defendants were charged with unlawfully transferring N110 million from the National Assembly’s office account between March 27 and April 11, 2023, using false transfer instructions.
It read,
“Further investigations showed that the forged instructions were submitted at the UBA National Assembly Business office, Abuja Branch, for processing and the funds were transferred to various beneficiaries in three banks.
“The money was traced from these three banks to several other beneficiaries who later returned the funds to Joseph that initiated the transactions.”
According to the EFCC, they were arraigned on five-count charge bordering on money laundering before Justice N.E. Maha of the Federal High Court, Maitama Abuja.
Both defendants were said to have pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi, to ask for a trial date.
The counsel for the first and second defendants, Gbenga Ashowole and Nelem Orji, informed the court of applications for bail for their clients.
Justice Maha thereafter remanded the defendants at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till February 27, 2024, for hearing of bail applications.
This media reported in July 2023 how the Edo State Police Command arrested a former banker, Gift Igbinosun, 35, for allegedly defrauding one John Nnamdi and one Obasogie Osagieduwa of over N14.9m under the pretence of helping them to get new notes.