The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three individuals before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for allegedly attempting to fraudulently obtain N10 billion from Fidelity Bank Plc through forged documents and false representations.
Details of the Arraignment
The defendants, Ibeh Emmanuel, Chidiebere Ihekoronye, and Akubuo Chimuanya, were arraigned on Wednesday alongside Austen Peaks Aniekan, who is currently at large. They appeared before Judge Olubusola Okunuga on five charges, including conspiracy, obtaining by false pretense, possession of fraudulent documents, and forgery.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly conspired to obtain N10 billion from Fidelity Bank by presenting forged documents and making false claims intended to facilitate the transfer of funds.
Specific Allegations
In one of the charges, the EFCC alleged that on or about April 16, the defendants conspired to obtain the money by falsely representing that Maton Engineering Limited, which maintains account number 4011468821 with Fidelity Bank, had issued an irrevocable standing order directing the reservation, blocking, and transfer of the funds in favor of Prospera Finance Limited, an account holder with Wema Bank Plc.
The anti-graft agency claimed that the representation was false and that the defendants knew it to be false when it was made. The commission further alleged that the defendants attempted to obtain the money based on the purported instruction and false representation.
Legal Framework
The EFCC stated that the alleged offenses contravene Sections 1(1)(a), 8(a), and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. Additionally, Ibeh Emmanuel was accused of possessing a document purportedly issued by Fidelity Bank confirming the existence of blocked funds amounting to N10 billion in favor of Prospera Finance Limited, which he allegedly knew to be false.
In another count, the defendants were accused of forging a document titled "Confirmation of Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000.00) Blocked Funds in Favour of Prospera Finance Limited," purportedly issued by Fidelity Bank Plc. The commission alleged that the document was fabricated without lawful authority, contrary to Section 365(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Court Proceedings
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all five charges. Following their plea, the prosecution lawyer, A.A. Usman, urged the court to fix a date for trial and requested that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility pending the determination of their bail applications.
Judge Okunuga ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until June 18 for the hearing of their bail applications and the commencement of trial.
Context and Ongoing Investigations
This latest prosecution adds to a series of fraud-related cases involving financial institutions that have come before Nigerian courts in recent years. In 2025, the Attorney General of the Federation withdrew criminal charges against the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank after a review found that she had no link to an alleged N19 billion fraud involving one of the bank’s customers, although the case against the bank remained pending before the court.
The EFCC said investigations into the alleged N10 billion fraud are ongoing and that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the fourth defendant, Austen Peaks Aniekan, who remains at large.
