•By Halimah Olamide
The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has arraigned one Chris Okafor before Justice O. Eyah of Enugu State High Court, on four-count charges.
The charges are bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretences to the tune of Sixty-Four Million, Eight Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (N64,890,000).
This was revealed in a statement Tuesday via the X account of the Commission.
According to the statement, Okafor was arraigned on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, based on claims of a petitioner linking him with an alleged fraudulent property transaction.
The statement read;
‘Count One of the charges read: “That you Chris Okafor and Lion of Judea Real Estate Company Limited between the months of March 2017 and December 2018 at Enugu State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did commit a felony to wit: stealing by fraudulently converting to your personal use the sum of Fifty-Nine Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Thousand Naira (N59,290,000.00) property of staff of Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NNRA), the said sum being part payment of the purchase of 79 plots of land located at Obinagu Obeagu Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu State”.
However, The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
In view of his plea, the EFCC Counsel prayed the court to remand the defendant in a Correctional Centre.
Justice Eyah thereafter ordered the defendant to be remanded in Enugu Correctional Centre and further adjourned the case to November 15 and 16, 2023 for trial.