The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Francis Atuche, a former managing director of the now-defunct Bank PHB Plc (currently Keystone Bank Limited), along with two co-defendants before the Special Offences Court located in Ikeja, Lagos, on nine charges related to conspiracy to commit a felony and forgery.
Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi), and Uguru Onyike appeared before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.
Upon the reading of the charges, all defendants entered a plea of not guilty.
Prosecution attorney, Fanen Anum, informed the court that the proceedings were starting anew and therefore requested a date for the trial.
The attorney representing the first defendant, Anthony Ejere, requested that his client be permitted to retain the prior bail granted by the court, despite still being a convict in another case.
Counsel for the second and third defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), also requested the court to allow his clients to continue enjoying the previously granted bail.
In a brief ruling, Justice Fadipe granted the requests of their attorneys, allowing them to remain on bail as previously authorized by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (rtd).
The case has been adjourned until May 6, 2025, for the trial to commence.
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Atuche and the other two defendants were initially arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru before he was elevated to the Court of Appeal and later became a Justice of the Supreme Court.
As a result, the case had to restart before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (now retired), leading to the case file’s transfer to Justice Abike-Fadipe.
Atuche’s troubles began when he contacted office assistant Joachim Nnosiri from Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre in Lagos to deliver allegedly forged documents to the Bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos for submission in a court case involving Atuche and the EFCC.
The documents in question are reported to be board resolutions from Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited, and Trajek Nigeria Limited, which have reportedly been missing from the bank since October 2009.
One of the charges against the defendants states, “Mr. Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi), and Uguru Onyike on or about the 4th day of March 2013, in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with the intent to defraud, conspired to commit a felony, specifically the forgery of a document titled: ‘BOARD RESOLUTION’ of Future View Securities Limited dated 17th December 2007.”
Another charge specifies, “Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi) on or about the 4th day of March 2013 in Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with the intent to defraud, knowingly and fraudulently used a false document titled Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited dated 15th December 2007, which he falsely claimed was duly signed by one Elizabeth Ebi (a Director of Trajek Nigeria Limited) to Keystone Bank Limited as though it were genuine.”
