A Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja has issued an order for the remand of Chinenye Duru, an account officer at Polaris Bank, in a correctional facility on Friday, January 19. This decision stems from allegations of involvement in N16,600,000,000 fraud....CONTINUE READING
The charges were brought forward by the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and Duru, after being arraigned, pleaded not guilty to the 11-count charge.
The case, with reference FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023, names the IGP as the complainant, with Polaris Bank Plc and Chinenye Duru as the 1st and 2nd defendants, respectively. Justice Inyang Ekwo, presiding over the case, scheduled the trial for April 23, April 24, and April 25, ordering Duru’s remand in a correctional center until further instructions from the court.
One of the charges, outlined in count one, accuses Polaris Bank and Duru of fraudulently withdrawing N16,500,000,000 from the account numbers 1040495455 and 1060104735 belonging to Victor Onukogu (Daddy Hezekiah) between November 17, 2017, and August 14, 2023.
The prosecution asserts that the defendants knowingly engaged in this act with the intention of converting the funds for personal use, violating Section 21 (a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022).
Further counts in the indictment include accusations of fraudulent withdrawals from Onukogu’s accounts, specifically N75,534,000 in count four and N13,300,000 from Hezekiah University’s account in count six.
The defendants are also alleged to have withdrawn N16,300,0003 naira from Hezekiah University’s account without authorization, intending to use the funds for personal gain, contravening the Money Laundering Act, among other charges.
However, Victor Onukogu, also known as Daddy Hezekiah, is the spiritual leader of Living Christ Mission Church in Onitsha, Anambra State.
