The Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu, on Thursday, November 13, arraigned Obinna Nwaobi, a former Head of Operations at Access Bank Nigeria Plc, before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court sitting at Independence Layout, Enugu State.
Nwaobi was arraigned on a nine-count charge bordering on forgery and criminal division of Five Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($510,000.00) belonging to a bank customer.
Count seven of the charge reads: “That you, Obinna Nwaobi while being (Head of Operations) of Access Bank Nigeria Plc, Enugu branch on or about the 8th day of August, 2024 in Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, induced Access Bank Nigeria Plc to transfer a total sum of Five Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars ($510, 000. 00) from LANTERN GATE NIGERIA LIMITED Access Bank Account number 0761770127 under the false pretence that Lantern Gate Nigeria Limited gave her consent and mandate for the said transfer which petence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
“That you, Obinna Nwaobi while being (Head of Operations) of Access Bank Plc, Enugu branch on or about the eight day of August, 2024 in Enugu State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, knowingly forged a document to Wit: “Access Bank Domestic Fund Transfer Form “D”, dated 28th August 2024, knowing same to be false and with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of Access Bank Plc and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and punishable under Section 1 (2) of the same Act,” count eight of the charge read.
Nwaobi pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges when they were read to him.
Though EFCC counsel, an Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu, opposed the bail application for Nwaobi as moved by his counsel, F. C. Obinna, Nwaobi was granted bail.
The court granted him bail in the sum of Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N250m) and three sureties in like sum. Two of the sureties shall have landed properties in Enugu State, and the papers of the said properties must be submitted to the court.
“The third surety shall be a relative of the defendant, who shall deposit evidence of tax payment for three years. The defendant and the sureties shall deposit two passports each to the court, and the defendant shall deposit his international passport and National Identification Number to the court until the determination of this case,” Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo ordered.
He therefore adjourned the trial to March 10, 11, and 12, 2026, for trial, while the defendant was remanded at the facility of the Nigeria Correctional Service in Enugu pending fulfilment of his bail bond.
The defendant’s case started on September 11, 2024, when the Commission received a petition from Access Bank Plc, alerting the EFCC of unauthorised transfers from its customer’s account.
