The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned the former Managing Director of the now-defunct Bank PHB Plc, Francis Atuche.
Henzodaily reports that Atuche is facing nine charges related to conspiracy to commit felony and forgery.
Atuche was re-arraigned on Monday alongside Nnosiri Joachim, also known as Ifeanyi, and Uguru Onyike, in front of Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe at the Special Offences Court located in Ikeja, Lagos.
Initially, Atuche was arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru, who has since been elevated to the Court of Appeal.
The proceedings against Atuche commenced anew before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who has now been reassigned to a different division of the Lagos High Court.
One of the counts preferred against Atuche read, “That you, Mr. Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike, on or about 4th day of March, 2013, in Lagos, with 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 read, “Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi), on or about 4th day of March, 2013 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, knowingly and fraudulently used a false document titled “Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited” dated 15th December 2007, which you purported to have been duly signed by one Elizabeth Ebi (a Director of Trajek Nigeria Limited) to Keystone Bank Limited as genuine.”
The defendants entered a plea of “not guilty” to the charges presented to them. In light of this plea, the prosecution attorney, Fanen Anum, informed the court that the case would commence anew and requested a trial date.
In response, the attorney representing the first defendant, Anthony Ejere, requested that his client, who has been previously convicted in a separate matter, be permitted to maintain the earlier bail that had been granted by the court.
Additionally, the counsel for the second and third defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), also sought the court’s permission for his clients to continue benefiting from the bail previously granted by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
In a brief ruling, Justice Fadipe granted the requests of the defense counsel, allowing the defendants to remain on the bail provided by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
The judge scheduled the case for further proceedings on May 6, 7, 8, 13, 20, and 27, 2025, to initiate the trial.
Atuche’s recent troubles with the EFCC arose when he allegedly contacted Nnosiri, an Office Assistant at Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre in Lagos, to deliver purportedly forged documents to the Bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos for submission as evidence in an ongoing case involving him and the Commission before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.
The alleged forged documents that had been missing since October 2009 are the Board’s resolutions of Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited and Trajek Nigeria Limited.