News Obiaks News

            The first prosecution witness, Abba Helen Ezekiel, Wednesday, narrated before a Kaduna Kaduna State High Court how an ex-Eco bank staff, Daniel Abah Royce allegedly defrauded a customer N10 million. Royce is under prosecution before Justice Mohammed Tukur by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade in a statement said Royce was first arraigned on February 4, on a two-count charge. Orilade said one of the counts read: “That you, Daniel Abah Royce, sometime in January 2016 or thereabout in Eco Bank Plc, Kaduna within the Judicial Division of this Honorable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N10,000,000 (Ten Million Naira) from Mrs. Abba Helen Ezekiel under the pretence that you would invest the said sum and pay her better interest better than that of the bank, a pretence you knew is false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act 2006 and Punishable under subsection 3 of the Same Act.
            The accused, however, reportedly pleaded not guilty to the charges. But at the resumed hearing today, Ezekiel took to the dock to testify against Royce. Led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Onyeka Ekweozor, she narrated how the defendant defrauded her of the said sum, claiming to be one Job Egila. Ezekiel said: “I visited Eco Bank, Kachia Road branch, Kaduna to inquire of interest rate on a fixed deposit and was introduced to one Charles with whom I discussed at length in the presence of ‘Joy Egila’. On my next visit, Charles had been transfered out of the branch and I was asked to wait for another account clerk that will attend to me. In the absence of the account clerk, ‘Job Egila’ introduced himself to me as a bank recovery officer. He advised me to invest with him and not with the bank, that for every one million naira I invest with him, I will get N25,000 and that later it will increase to N30,000. I first gave him N3 million for an interest rate for 30 days and he gave me a post-dated cheque, but I later found out that he did not fund the account, and he still did not pay my money back. Also, Orilade said the Witness told the court that she even transferred another N4 million, and several other payments totaling N10 million to the accused. In his ruling, Justice Tukur adjourned the case to May 6, for continuation of trial.