The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on December 11, 2019, arraigned Okoye Kenneth Chinedu before Justice I. B Gafai of the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State, on a five-count charge of forgery, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretense to the tune of N66,250,500.

Okoye pleaded not guilty to charges preferred against him.

The defendant, posing as a land agent, allegedly conspired with his accomplices to defraud the complainant the sum of N66,250,500 on the pretext of purchasing several plots of land situated as follows: Four plots of land at Commissioners Quarters, Awka, at the cost of N14,000,000.00, and another twenty five plots of land at Agu-Awka Industrial Layout at the cost N55,000,000.

Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the land in question belong to a serving judge in one of the State High Courts and a former senator respectively. It was also discovered that Okoye, had forged some documents, broke security keys at the entrance to the said land and removed all the beacons in a bid to convince his victims that he was the bonafide owner of the said plots of land.

Count one of the charges read: “That you, Okoye Kenneth Chinedu, Alexander Kanayochukwu Nwammadu (still at large), Mogbo Chika Emmanuel (still at large) and other persons still at large sometimes between 2016 and 2018 at Awka, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining the total sum of N62,700,500.00 ( Sixty Two Million, Seven Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) by false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Onome Marshal Umukoro asked for a trial date while the defense counsel, Henry Onugwu, moved a motion for the bail of his client.

The court granted Okoye bail with two sureties who must be civil servants within the jurisdiction not below grade level 13. The sureties must be verified by the EFCC. Justice Gafai ordered Okoye to be remanded in the Correctional Centre, pending the perfection of his bail conditions while the matter was adjourned to 14 January, 2020 for trial.

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