.Re-arraigns former Bank PHB MD, Francis Atuche, on forgery charges
By Blessing Omale, Abuja
In a major crackdown on cybercrime, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 792 suspects for their alleged involvement in cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams.
The arrests followed a surprise raid on December 10, 2024, at an imposing seven-storey building, Big Leaf Building, located on No. 7 Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The operation was based on verified intelligence, according to a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC.
Addressing journalists on December 16, 2024, the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, revealed the operation uncovered a complex syndicate involving 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two individuals from Kharzartan, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian. Speaking through the EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Commander Wilson Uwujaren, Olukoyede disclosed that the building, which resembled a corporate financial headquarters, was used to train Nigerian accomplices in executing elaborate scams.
“All the floors are equipped with high-end desktop computers. On the fifth floor alone, investigators recovered 500 SIM cards from local telecom operators, purchased for criminal purposes,” Olukoyede stated.
The EFCC revealed that the syndicate operated by recruiting young Nigerians with computer proficiency and exceptional typing skills. These recruits were trained for two weeks to impersonate foreign women in online romance scams, using fake profiles to lure victims. They engaged targets—mainly from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and parts of Europe—through platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram.
Olukoyede explained: “Once the Nigerians establish trust with the victims, the foreign syndicate leaders take over to defraud the targets, cutting off the Nigerian accomplices from further access.”
The scammers used an online platform, www.yooto.com, to trick victims into paying activation fees starting at $35. The syndicate leveraged WhatsApp accounts linked to foreign telephone numbers, mostly from Germany and Italy, to enhance their credibility.
Despite working for the criminal enterprise, the Nigerian recruits had no formal employment contracts and were paid either in cash or through personal accounts, further obscuring the syndicate’s operations.
Olukoyede debunked the stereotype that Nigerians are primarily responsible for frauds originating from the country. “Foreigners are exploiting Nigeria’s unfortunate reputation as a haven for scams to establish criminal enterprises here. This operation shows that there will be no hiding places for criminals in Nigeria,” he said.
Items seized during the raid included desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, and several vehicles. Investigations are ongoing to establish the full extent of the scam, uncover potential accomplices, and identify links to international fraud networks.
Michael Wetkas, Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Directorate, emphasized the need for greater collaboration with the media in fighting economic and financial crimes.
The EFCC confirmed that the suspects would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
. re-arraigns former Bank PHB MD, Francis Atuche, on Forgery Charges
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, re-arraigned Francis Atuche, the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, on nine counts of conspiracy and forgery.
The charges were read before Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
Atuche, alongside his co-defendants Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike, had previously faced similar charges before Justice Habeeb Abiru, who was later elevated to the Court of Appeal.
The case then began afresh under Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who has since been transferred to another division of the Lagos High Court.
One of the charges accuses Atuche, Joachim, and Onyike of conspiring to forge a “BOARD RESOLUTION” document from Future View Securities Limited, dated December 17, 2007.
Another count involved Joachim’s alleged use of a false document, purportedly signed by Elizabeth Ebi, a director at Trajek Nigeria Limited, which was submitted to Keystone Bank as genuine.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the prosecution, represented by Fanen Anum, and requested a trial date.
The defense counsels, Anthony Ejere (for Atuche) and Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN (for Joachim and Onyike), sought to have their clients continue to benefit from earlier bail conditions granted by Justice Onigbanjo. Justice Fadipe granted their request, allowing the defendants to remain on bail pending the trial.
The case was adjourned to May 2025 for the commencement of trial, with hearings scheduled for the 6th, 7th, 8th, 13th, 20th, and 27th.
Atuche’s legal troubles resurfaced when he allegedly contacted Joachim, an office assistant at Keystone Bank, to deliver forged documents to the bank’s headquarters in Lagos.
It was learnt that the documents, which had been missing since 2009, include the board resolutions of Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited, and Trajek Nigeria Limited, and were intended for use as exhibits in an ongoing case between Atuche and the EFCC before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.
