Customer in court testimony accuses UBA of  recommending client who  sold fake $900,000 to him

 

The Managing Director/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited, Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, has narrated to a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos how a customer recommended by the United Bank For Africa (UBA) Plc fraudulently duped him the sum of $900,000 in a forex deal.

Nnamdi Ezenwa testified as the first prosecution witness in the trial of five defendants – three persons, a firm and a bank over 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 Limited and United Bank For Africa (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 resumed trial of the case, the 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, urging the court to give the case expeditious hearing.

While testifying before the court, the first prosecution witness Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa stated that he was called sometime in 2014 by his account officer in UBA informing him that a customer had dollars totalling 1.9 million to sell.

Led in evidence by the prosecutor, the witness informed the court that 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’s accountant to go to UBA Aba branch to confirm the situation, which he 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 account.

“I bought the total sum of $1.9million as recommended by UBA, however, a total sum of $950,000 of the dollars were fake.

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

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

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

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

“That you Chibuěze 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 Pic 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 31 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 41years 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 Pic: Onyinyechi Oraegbunem ‘F’ former branch manager of UBA Aba branch and Pamela Onaga former staff of UBA Pic Aba branch/account officer to Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, now at large, between 3 April, 2013 and 31 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 at offence contrary to section 1(1) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.