One Abel Egerton Sokari, Nkiruka Chukwuma, and a company, Zakah Global Investment Limited have been arraigned on Monday before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, for alleged fraud €49,000,000.
The defendants are facing a six-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents, and forgery brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The defendants were accused of alleged attempt to obtain the sum of Forty-Nine Million Euros (€49,000,000.00) from First Bank of Nigeria by falsely representation.
During their arraignment, the first and second defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
They however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Counsel to the EFCC, Hannatu Kofarnaisa, requested a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendants in custody pending the commencement of trial.
Kofarnaisa informed the court that the defendants, with three others still at large; Cheryl Austin Adanti, Husaain Abid, Shazad Muhammed.
EFCC vs. Zakah Global Investment, Others
The prosecutor alleged that the defendants sometimes on the 19th of May 2025 in Lagos, with intent to defraud, attempted to obtain the sum of €49,000,000 from First Bank of Nigeria by the false pretence that Bayan Investment Bank and Hedge Fund Statutory Trust had transferred the aforementioned sum into account number 2046430791 belonging to Zakah Global Investment Limited which is domiciled at First Bank of Nigeria.
Another count reads: “That you, Abel Egerton Sokari and Nkiruka Chukwuma, sometime in April 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, had in your possession a document containing false pretences, to wit: a letter purportedly from the law office of Steven H. Sado, P.C., a lead defence attorney for US President Donald Trump, which document you knew to be false.”
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences violate Section 1(1)(a), 8(a) and 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.
Counsel to the first and second defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, and Laolu Owolabi, SAN, informed the court of their bail applications and urged the court to grant bail in the most liberal terms.
They senior lawyers undertook to take custody of the defendants pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The prosecution, however, did not object the bail application and left it at the discretion of the court.
The judge thereafter granted bail to both defendants in the sum of N500,000 each, with one surety in like sum.
In addition, Justice Dada temporarily released the defendants to their respective counsel pending the perfection of their bail conditions, which must be fulfilled within one month.
Justice Dada adjourned till October 29, 2025, for the commencement of trial.
