The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned Francis Atuche, the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank), alongside Joachim Nnosiri and Uguru Onyike, over allegations of forgery, conspiracy, and falsification of documents.
The trio faced a nine-count charge before the Ikeja Special Offences Court for offences allegedly committed on March 4, 2013, in Lagos.
According to the EFCC, Atuche had directed Nnosiri, a former office assistant at the bank, to deliver forged documents to the bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos. The documents, which were purported board resolutions for Future View Securities Ltd, Extra Oil Ltd, and Trajek Nigeria Ltd, had reportedly gone missing from the bank since October 2009.
The EFCC stated that these actions violated Sections 364, 363, and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
During the re-arraignment, EFCC counsel Fanen Anum requested a new trial date, as the case would commence afresh.
Defense lawyers Anthony Ejere and Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN) urged the court to maintain the defendants’ prior bail conditions. Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe granted the request, allowing the accused to remain on bail.
The judge subsequently adjourned the trial to May 6, 2025, for its formal commencement.
The case has undergone several reassignments since it was first heard by Justice Habeeb Abiru, who was later elevated to the Appeal Court. It was subsequently assigned to Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who retired before its current reassignment to Justice Abike-Fadipe.
This re-arraignment highlights the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to address cases of financial malpractice and corporate misconduct in Nigeria.
