A Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Abuja, on Friday, ordered Mr Chinenye Duru, a Polaris Bank official and account officer to Mr Victor Onukogu (Daddy Hezekiah), to be remanded in a correctional facility over an alleged N16.6 billion fraud.
Justice Inyang Ekwo gave the order after Duru was arraigned by the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and pleaded not guilty to the 11-count charge preferred against him.
While the IGP is the complainant in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023, Polaris Bank Plc and Duru are 1st and 2nd defendants.
The judge, who adjourned the matter until April 23, April 24 and April 25 for trial, ordered Duru to be remanded in a correctional centre, pending further orders of the court.
In count one, Polaris Bank and Duru were alleged to have between Nov. 17, 2017, and Aug 14, 2023, fraudulently withdrew from Onukogu Victor Hezekiah’s account numbers: 1040495455 and 1060104735, domiciled with the bank the sum of 16 billion and 500 million naira.
It said that knowing that the said money did not belong to them, “and knowing the same act was wrong with the intention of converting same to your personal use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 21 (a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
In count four, the defendants were alleged to have between Nov. 17, 2017 and Aug. 14, 2023, fraudulently withdrawn the sum of 75, 534 million naira from Onukogu’s account number: 4010023601 contrary to Section 18 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.
In count six, they were alleged to have fraudulently withdrawn the sum of 13.3 million naira from Hezekiah University’s account number: 40910106770.
The defendants were also alleged to have fraudulently withdrew the sum of 16.3 million naira between the same date from Hezekiah University’s account number: 411054152 without any authorisation from the account owner with the intention of converting same to their own personal use contrary to the Money Laundering Act, among other counts.
Onukogu, also known as Daddy Hezekiah, is the spiritual head of Living Christ Mission Church, Onitsha in Anambra State.
