The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday March 9 placed restraining seals on at least seven properties belonging to the former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BankPHB, Mr Francis Atuche in choice areas of Lagos.

The exercise was carried out to give effect to an ex parte order granted the Commission by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos compelling Atuche to disclose all his properties to the EFCC on March 1^st , 2010.  Atuche is standing trial on charges of money laundering.

Seven properties belonging to the former bank chief in Lagos were placed “Under Investigation and Restrained” by the EFCC. The houses are located in Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Lekki and Surulere. Three of the properties are in Ikoyi and they include those on No 11, Raymond Njoku, Ikoyi; N0 2, Falomo Close, Ikoyi and No 21, Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi. Two of the properties are in Victoria Island and they are on No 4, Saka Tinubu, Victoria Island and No 14B, Anifowoshe Street, Victoria Island.

Others are one property in Lekki at  Road 43, G169, Victoria Garden City, Lekki and another one in Surulere at No 57, Ilesanmi Street, Asoba Private Estate, Surulere. The restraining exercise was carried out without hitch.

The restraining exercise is expected to continue in other locations in Nigeria where Atuche has properties. It will be recalled that several properties belonging to other former bank chiefs being prosecuted by the EFCC had been seized in like manner. They include those of  Mr Erastus Akingbola of Intercontinental bank and Mrs Cecilia Ibru of Oceanic bank .

Fake Official Demands $2Million Bribe From Cecilia Ibru – EFCC

The  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has told an FCT high court in Abuja how a fake official of the anti-graft agency who was recently arrested and arraigned approached a former CEO of Oceanic International Bank Plc, Mrs Cecilia Ibru to extort two million dollars ($2million) from her.

Ibru was sacked as the CEO of Oceanic bank last year while the EFCC arraigned her on a 25 count charge on August 31,2009.

Uwajeh’s  trouble began when he was arrested at his Wuse II, Abuja residence on Wednesday January 13, 2010 following an intelligence report which indicated that he was impersonating officials of EFCC. A team of operatives was subsequently mandated to trail and arrest him after a discreet investigation confirmed the initial report. His arrest led to the recovery of incriminating items.

Some of the items recovered from the suspect’s house include a pack of complimentary cards with EFCC’s logo and address bearing the suspect’s name, fake EFCC letter head papers, a petition with EFCC acknowledgement stamp and a host of others. 

The accused was subsequently arraigned on a four count charge on January 28, 2010.Further investigation has however shown that one of the victims of Uwajeh’s illicit trade is Mrs Ibru whom he approached to extort $2 million to help her scale down EFCC’s investigations on her.

Following the fresh findings, the Commission filed an amended two count charge in addition to the initial four count charge for which the accused has been remanded in Kuje prison since January 28.

 The new charges filed last Thursday by the prosecution counsel, Mike Bul read:

 “That you Victor Osita Uwajeh between 1^st day of January 2010 and 13^th January 2010 in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in an attempt to commit extortion did attempt to put one Mrs Cecilia Ibru and Kayode Abraham in fear of injury by demanding from them the sum of $2 million USD (two million dollars) as inducement to drop charges against Mrs. Ibru and that you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 293 of the Penal Code Act CAP 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990.

“That you Victor Osita Uwajeh between November 2009 and January 2010 in the Abuja Judicial Division of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory did attempt to extort money from Mrs Cecilia Ibru  by making concerted demands on her to give you $2 million USD as gratification to scale down EFCC investigations against her and that you afterwards tried to induce one Kayode Abraham to assist you procure the bribe money thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 95 of the Penal Code Act CAP 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under the same section of the same Penal Code Act.”

When the matter came up last Thursday, the trial judge, Justice Adebunkola Banjoko equally granted the prosecution’s application for a freezing order on all the assets of the accused. 

Uwajeh’s property which the court ordered confiscated include landed property, his bank accounts and a fleet of vehicles which include a Hummer Jeep, Honda Jeep, Toyota Land Cruiser jeep and a Hilux Jeep.

 Justice Banjoko however granted the accused person bail after spending about one month in Kuje prison in the sum of N5 million and two sureties in like sum. The two sureties should be residents of Abuja and are to provide tax clearance certificate for three years. The accused is also to deposit both his Nigeria and British Passport with the registrar of the court.