Kehinde Fajobi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Francis Atuche, the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, alongside Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike, on charges of forgery and conspiracy.
The re-arraignment occurred on Monday before Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
The three defendants face a nine-count indictment, accused of forging board resolutions to defraud financial institutions.
One of the charges states, “That you, Mr. Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi), and Uguru Onyike, on or about 4th day of March 2013, in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to commit felony to wit: forgery of a document titled: ‘BOARD RESOLUTION’ of Future View Securities Limited dated 17th December 2007.”
Another count involves Joachim, who allegedly used a forged “Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited” dated December 15, 2007, and presented it as genuine to Keystone Bank Limited.
The accused had been previously arraigned before Justices Habeeb Abiru and Adeniyi Onigbanjo but pleaded not guilty to the charges. Prosecutor Fanen Anum informed the court that the case was starting afresh and requested trial dates.
Defence lawyers, Anthony Ejere and Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, successfully argued for the defendants to remain on the bail granted by Justice Onigbanjo.
Justice Abike-Fadipe upheld the bail and adjourned the trial to May 6, 7, 8, 13, 20, and 27, 2025.
Atuche’s legal troubles began when he allegedly contacted Nnosiri, an Office Assistant at Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre, to deliver forged documents to the bank’s corporate headquarters for use in an ongoing case against the EFCC.
These documents, which had been missing since October 2009, include board resolutions from Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited, and Trajek Nigeria Limited.