An Agent Network Manager with Nomba Financial Services Limited, Uche Anderson Chiekea, and his associate, Joy Oluchi Ani, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Lagos over allegations of cross border fraud and money laundering involving $50,487 between Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The defendants were brought before Justice Ambrose Lewis Allagoa by operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi, on a six count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful diversion of funds, alteration of financial terms, and money laundering.
Prosecutor Clifton Onovo, who held brief for Stanley Afoaku, told the court that the alleged offences occurred between February and May 2025, during which both defendants allegedly worked with others still at large to move illicit funds across borders in breach of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants converted and transferred $50,487, knowing the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity, and structured the transactions in a manner intended to avoid detection within the financial system.
Chiekea was also accused of abusing his position within the company to misappropriate entrusted funds, allegedly diverting the said amount for personal use. He was further alleged to have manipulated service fees and interest charges applied to agents and customers without authorization from the company or its banking partners, while falsely presenting the revised charges as legitimate.
The alleged offences are said to contravene provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, the Criminal Code Act, the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, and the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them.
Following their plea, defence counsel E. J. Kachichukwu, alongside two other lawyers, informed the court that a bail application had been filed and served on the prosecution. The prosecution confirmed receipt of the application and did not oppose it.
Justice Allagoa subsequently granted bail to each defendant in the sum of N10 million with one surety each in like sum, ruling that the surety must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction.
The court also ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the perfection of their bail conditions, and adjourned the matter to May 22 and 25, 2026, for trial.
