By Miriam Humbe
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned one Chukwuebuka Anacletus Ogbonna before Justice Vincent C. Ezeugwu of the Enugu State High Court, sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu on a four-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion to the tune of N15, 400, 000. 00 (Fifteen Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira).
Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head, Media & Publicity disclosed this in a statement signed on Thursday.
Count one of the charges reads: “Chukwuebuka Anacletus Ogbonna (trading under the name and style of Monpere’s Autos) sometime in September 2023, in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Enugu State, did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of N4, 000, 000. 00 (Four Million Naira) for the purchase of vehicles being property of Mr. Paulson Nwakoby and thereby committing an offence”.
Count two of the charges reads: “Chukwuebuka Anacletus Ogbonna (trading under the name and style of Monpere’s Autos) sometime between 28th of November, 2023 and 10th of December, 2023, in Enugu, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Enugu State, did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of N4, 000, 000. 00 (Four Million Naira) for the purchase of vehicles being property of Mr. Paulson Nwakoby and thereby committing an offence”.
The offence is contrary to Section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Enugu State and punishable under Section 353 (1) of the same Law.
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him. In view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Rotimi Ajobiewe prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS in Enugu.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to July 16, 2026 for hearing of bail application and the defendant was remanded at the Commission’s facility.
The defendant was arrested, following claims of a petitioner that he paid him N15.4m, sometime in October 2023, to assist him in importing three cars.
On receipt of the money, the defendant promised to deliver the cars on or before December 25, 2023, but failed to do so. He neither delivered the cars nor returned the money to the petitioner.
