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), along with Joachim Nnosiri and Uguru Onyike, on charges of alleged forgery, according to News360 Nigeria.
The three individuals are facing a nine-count charge that includes forgery, conspiracy, and document falsification before the Ikeja Special Offences Court. These alleged crimes are said to have occurred on March 4, 2013, in Lagos.
According to the EFCC, Atuche directed Nnosiri, a former office assistant at the bank, to deliver forged documents to the bank’s corporate headquarters in Lagos for use as court exhibits. The documents, purportedly board resolutions from Future View Securities Ltd, Extra Oil Ltd, and Trajek Nigeria Ltd, had reportedly been missing from the bank since October 2009.
The anti-graft agency further 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, stating that the case would restart from the beginning. Defense counsels Anthony Ejere and Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN) urged the court to maintain the defendants’ previous bail conditions, a request which was granted by Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe.
The judge adjourned the case to May 6, 2025, for the trial to commence.
This case, which was initially presided over by Justice Habeeb Abiru, was reassigned following his promotion to the Appeal Court. It was later handled by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who retired before the case was transferred to Justice Abike-Fadipe.
