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The Lagos Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Francis Atuche, the former Managing Director of the defunct Bank PHB Plc, on charges of conspiracy and forgery.
The nine-count charge was presented on Monday, December 16, 2024, before Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
Atuche, alongside Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike, faced fresh charges after the case was reassigned multiple times.
Initially, the defendants were arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru, who is now serving as a Judge of the Court of Appeal.
The case later moved to Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who was subsequently transferred to another division of the Lagos High Court.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants forged board resolutions of various companies, including Future View Securities Limited, to deceive Keystone Bank.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Mr Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi), and Uguru Onyike, on or about March 4, 2013, in Lagos, conspired to commit forgery of a document titled ‘BOARD RESOLUTION’ of Future View Securities Limited, dated December 17, 2007, with the intent to defraud.”
Another count accuses Joachim of knowingly using a fraudulent document titled “Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited,” dated December 15, 2007, and presenting it to Keystone Bank as genuine.
All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. In response, EFCC prosecutor Fanen Anum informed the court that the case was starting afresh and requested a trial date.
Counsel for Atuche, Anthony Ejere, urged the court to allow his client to remain on the bail granted in a prior case.
Similarly, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN, representing the second and third defendants, requested that their clients continue on the earlier bail conditions granted by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
Justice Abike-Fadipe granted the defence’s request, allowing the defendants to remain on bail, and adjourned the trial to May 6, 7, 8, 13, 20, and 27, 2025.
Atuche’s legal troubles escalated recently when he reportedly contacted Nnosiri, an Office Assistant at Keystone Bank, to deliver allegedly forged documents to the bank’s headquarters.
These documents, including board resolutions of Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited, and Trajek Nigeria Limited, had been missing since 2009.
The documents were intended as evidence in an ongoing case between Atuche and the EFCC before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.