“EFCC Arraigns Lawyer Benjamin Nwobodo Over N12 Million Fraud Charges”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought a prominent lawyer, Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo, before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court in Enugu State, facing five charges of forgery and obtaining by false pretenses amounting to a total of N12 million.
According to a statement issued on Monday by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, Nwobodo pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him in court.
One of the charges, Count Three, states that on January 15, 2014, Nwobodo allegedly defrauded Wilson Ikeani Igwe of N9 million by falsely pretending to sell three plots of land in Emene, Enugu State. The charge further alleges that Nwobodo knew the sale was a sham.
Another charge, Count Four, accuses Nwobodo of obtaining an additional N3 million from Igwe on December 15, 2014, under the false pretense of selling one plot of land in Emene, which he knew to be fraudulent.
Following Nwobodo’s plea, EFCC counsel, Chief Superintendent Chikezie Raymond Edozie, requested the court set a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in custody at the Enugu State Correctional Facility.
However, Nwobodo, who represented himself, applied for bail. The court granted bail with strict conditions: two sureties, each for the sum of N25 million, must be presented. One surety must own property in Enugu, and the other must be a blood relative with proof of tax clearance for the last three years. Additionally, the sureties must submit affidavits of means, and the EFCC will verify their details within seven working days.
As part of the bail conditions, Nwobodo must submit his international passport to the Deputy Court Registrar. The court then allowed him to return home on self-recognizance, with ten days to fulfill the bail conditions, or risk being arrested by the EFCC.
The case has been adjourned to May 13 and 14, 2025, for trial.
