By Abigail Philip David
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 forgery and conspiracy.
Atuche was re-arraigned alongside Nnosiri Joachim (also known as Ifeanyi) and Uguru Onyike on Monday before Justice O. O. Abike-Fadipe at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
The nine-count charge accuses the defendants of forging board resolutions of various companies to defraud financial institutions. One of the charges reads:
“That you, Mr. Francis Atuche, Nnosiri Joachim (a.k.a Ifeanyi), and Uguru Onyike, on or about the 4th day of March 2013, in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to commit felony to wit: forgery of a document titled: ‘BOARD RESOLUTION’ of Future View Securities Limited dated 17th December 2007.”
Another count alleged that Joachim used a forged *Board Resolution of Trajek Nigeria Limited*, dated December 15, 2007, and presented it as authentic to Keystone Bank Limited.
The defendants, previously arraigned before Justices Habeeb Abiru and Adeniyi Onigbanjo, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Case to Begin Anew
The prosecution, led by Fanen Anum, informed the court that the case was restarting de novo and requested new trial dates.
The defence, represented by Anthony Ejere and Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), successfully argued for the defendants to continue on the bail granted by Justice Onigbanjo. Justice Abike-Fadipe upheld the bail and adjourned the trial to May 6, 7, 8, 13, 20, and 27, 2025.
Allegations of Forged Documents
The EFCC revealed that Atuche’s current issues began when he allegedly contacted Joachim, an office assistant at Keystone Bank’s Central Sharing Services Centre, to deliver forged documents to the bank’s headquarters for use as exhibits in an ongoing case against him before Justice Lateefat Okunnu.
The alleged forged documents—missing since October 2009—include board resolutions from Future View Securities Limited, Extra Oil Limited, and Trajek Nigeria Limited, the EFCC statement added.
