EFCC Arraigns BDC Operator For Alleged N446.5m Fraud In Awka

The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned one Chidiebere Christian Okeke, a Bureau De Change operator before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State.

Okeke, alongside his two companies; Paderlambs Investment Limited and Ishiugbo Nigeria Limited were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N446, 579, 629. 00 (Four Hundred and Forty-six Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty-nine Naira).

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Chidiebere Christian Okeke, Paderlambs Investment Limited sometime between October, 2023 and November, 2023 in Onitsha, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, with intent to defraud, did obtain from Izuchukwu Okeke of Alphard Candy and Sons Limited, an aggregate sum of Four Hundred and Forty-six Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Twenty-nine Naira (N446, 579, 629. 00) which sum was initially paid into the account of Nwadili David Chukwuka, trading under the name and style of Ifeabata Ventures and subsequently transferred into the bank accounts of Padrelambs Investment Limited and Ishiugbo Nigeria Limited respectively, which you claimed to have remitted the RMB equivalent of the said sum to Izuchukwu Okeke’s business partner in China, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.

Count Three reads: “That you, Chidiebere Christian Okeke, sometime in 2023 in Onitsha, Anambra State, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High court of Nigeria, did make forged telex documents, purportedly emanating from JCI General Trading Pty Limited, 4169 Brisbane, Australia, knowing same to be false or with intent that the said documents might be used or acted upon as genuine, to the prejudice of Izuchukwu Okeke, the Managing Director of Alphard Candy and Sons Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1 (2) (C) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004”.

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against him and in view of his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Michael Ikechukwu Ani prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded at the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service, NCoS in Awka.

The matter was thereafter adjourned to November 19, 2026 for hearing of bail application while the defendant was remanded at the NCoS.

The defendant was handed over to the Commission on October 30, 2024 by the Department of State Services with a petition by one Izuchukwu Okeke who claimed that between September 2023 and November the same year, he gave the said sum to one Nwadili David Chukwuka, another BDC operator to remit the Renminbi, RMB equivalent to his business partner in China.

According to the petitioner, Chukwuka informed him that the money was given to the defendant to transmit the same to his partner. When confronted, the defendant admitted receiving the money but instead of transmitting the same, he decided to refund the money by issuing a dud cheque.