A businessman, Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, has told the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos that a customer recommended by the United Bank For Africa (UBA) duped him of $900,000 in a fraudulent forex deal.

Ezenwa, the MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited, spoke as the star prosecution witness in the trial of five defendants – three persons, a firm and a bank – for alleged conspiracy to defraud and obtaining money under false pretence.

The 1st to 5th defendants are Chibueze Ojeh, Obinna Nwosu, Emeka Njoku, Castle Equipment & Logistic Ltd and UBA.

They are being prosecuted by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) before Justice Deinde Isaac Dipeolu on a five-count amended charge marked FHC/AWK/C/25/2020.

At the resumption of trial on July 23, prosecution counsel Abdulmoruf Animashaun, who held the brief of Mr. Simon Lough SAN, informed the court that the defendants were being prosecuted on a third amended charge, adding that it was high time the case be expeditiously heard.

First prosecution witness Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa stated that he was called sometime in 2014 by his account officer in UBA who said a customer had dollars totalling 1.9 million to sell.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, the witness said the account officer was aware Ezenwa needed dollars to send to Italy for the importation of toothpaste.

He testified that he quickly called his company accountant to go to UBA Aba branch to confirm the situation. The latter did.

“I then went to meet the UBA Branch manager, account officer and the customer that wanted to sell the dollars, together with my company accountant.

“I bought the total sum of $1.9 million as recommended by UBA but the total sum of $950,000 of it was fake.

“I demanded that my money be returned to me, but every effort proved abortive,” Ezenwa added.

But Dr. D.A. Awosika (SAN), counsel to the first defendant, objected to the tendering of some documents, following which the prosecution counsel urged the court to adjourn the case to a further date to enable him to regularize the position.

Consequently, Justice Dipeolu adjourned further trial till the 12th and 14th of November 2024 for further trial.

Counts one and two of the charge against the defendants read:

“That you Chibueze Ojeh ‘M’ 40 years MD/CEO of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited of Lekki County Homes, Westend Estate Road 4, House 4 Lekki Lagos State, Obinna Nwosu ‘M’ 45 years of No. 1 Shofidiya Close, Adegoke Estate, Masha Roundabout Surulere Lagos, Emeka Njoku ‘M’ 41 years former Staff and marketer with United Bank for Africa Plc, of No. 3 Azikiwe Road Port Harcourt, Castle Equipment & Logistics Ltd and United Bank for Africa Plc; Onyinyechi Oraegbunem ‘F’ former branch manager of UBA Plc Aba branch and Pamela Onaga ‘F’ former staff of UBA/account officer to Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, now at large, between 3rd April 2013 and 31st June, 2013 in Lagos and Aba within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while acting in concert and with intent to defraud Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited, conspired together to commit felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.

“That you Chibueze Ojeh ‘M’ 40 years MD/CEO of Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited of Lekki County Homes, Westend Estate Road 4, House 4 Lekki Lagos state, Obinna Nwosu ‘M’ 45 years of No. 1 Shofidiya Close, Adegoke Estate, Masha Roundabout Surulere Lagos, Emeka Njoku ‘M’ 41 years former Staff and marketer with United Bank for Africa Plc, of No. 3 Azikiwe Road Port Harcourt, Castle Equipment & Logistics Ltd and United Bank for Africa Plc; Onyinyechi Oraegbunem ‘F’ former branch manager of UBA Aba branch and Pamela Onaga former staff of UBA Plc Aba branch/account officer to Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, now at large, between 3rd April, 2013 and 31st June 2013 in Lagos and Aba, while acting in concert and with intent to defraud Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited deceitfully induced Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa that you have dollars to sell to him at a lower rate of N159.00 per dollar and deceitfully collected a total sum of N294,150,000.00 equivalent to $1,850,000 from him on the pretence that you will transfer the dollars equivalent to his customers in Italy. But having collected the total sum of N294,150,000.00, you transferred only $900,000 equivalent to N143,100,000.00 and converted $950,000 Dollars, equivalent to N151,000,000.00 to your use. You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.”