18th March, 2013
Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) today arraigned three pastors; David Eshiet, Samson Ugbara and Adesanmi Aderoju before an Ikeja High Court over an alleged N7.9 million fraud.
The defendants were charged by the EFCC alongside their company, Prince and Zion International Service Ltd.
They are facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery and uttering.
EFCC counsel, Mr Ben Ubi alleged that the defendant had conspired to fraudulently obtain the sums of N4 million and 25,000 US dollars (N3.9 million) from Angel Estate Residents Development Association in Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.
Ubi alleged that the money was obtained on Oct.27, 2011 under the pretext of helping the complainants source for a 100 million US dollars loan facility.
He said the loan was being sourced by the association to finance some community projects, adding that the defendants had obtained the money as processing charges.
The prosecutor further accused the defendants of forging various documents which were used in facilitating the fraud.
He said after collecting the money, the defendants failed to secure the loan as promised which led the complainants to petition the EFCC.
Ubi said their alleged offences contravened Sections 1, (sub-sections 1,2,3) and 8 of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The presiding judge, Justice Olabisi Akinlade ordered them to be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons pending the hearing of their bail applications fixed for 27 March, 2013.
—Henry Ojelu