Enugu court remands businessman over N340m money laundering charge by EFCC

The Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a businessman, Kingsley Chinonye Unije, for money laundering to the tune of N340,000,000.

He was arraigned before Justice M.G Umar of the Federal High Court in Enugu on Wednesday, November 22, on five-count charges including forgery, obtaining money under pretense, and money laundering.

During his arraignment on Wednesday, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Part of the count read, “that you KINGSLEY CHINONYE UNIJE sometime between May and 2022 in Enugu State within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N170,000,000 from Igwe Cosmas Ezeumeh under the pretense that you were selling to him two landed property known as plot 81 and 304 at New layout Enugu with the consent of Late Mrs. Victoria Unije which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud- related offenses Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same act.

“That you KINGSLEY CHINONYE UNIJE sometime between May and June 2022, in Enugu State, within the Jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria converted the sum of (120,000,000.00) by purchasing two landed properties in your name, and one in the name of Michael Emeka Bernard knowing that the said money formed part of your unlawful act and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Act and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same act.”

The prosecution counsel Al’qasim Jaafar requested that the court remands Unije to the Correctional Centre and set a trial date, asserting the readiness of the prosecution to present its witnesses.

But the defense counsel Beatrice Nwatueze sought bail for Unije.

Justice Umar, after listening to both counsels ordered that the defendant be remanded in Enugu Maximum Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to January 30, 2024, for a hearing of the bail application.

However, the case underscores the serious charges of financial wrongdoing faced by Unije and the legal proceedings initiated by the EFCC to address alleged fraudulent activities.