EFCC operatives attempt to arrest Polaris Bank official in court despite order

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives on Tuesday attempted to arrest Chinenye Duru, a Polaris Bank official, in the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court despite a court order stopping the arrest.

The arrest came shortly after Justice Inyang Ekwo adjourned an alleged fraud charge filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) against Polaris Bank Plc and Mr Duru until May 14 for adoption.

The IGP had, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023, preferred an 11-count money laundering offence against Polaris Bank Plc and Mr Duru, an account officer to Victor Onukogu, the nominal complainant.

They were named in the charge as the first and second defendants.

Mr Onukogu, also known as “Daddy Hezekiah”, is the spiritual head of Living Christ Mission Church, Onitsha, in Anambra.

In count one of the charges, Polaris Bank and Mr Duru were alleged to have, between November 17, 2017, and August 14, 2023, fraudulently withdrawn N16billion and N500 million from Mr Onukogu’s account numbers 1040495455 and 1060104735, domiciled with the bank.

The anti-graft agency said the offence contravened the provisions of section 21 (a) and was punishable under section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.”

In count four, the defendants were alleged to have, between November 17, 2017, and August 14, 2023, fraudulently withdrawn N75.534 million from Mr Onukogu’s account number: 4010023601 contrary to section 18 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.

In count six, they were alleged to have fraudulently withdrawn N13.3 million from Hezekiah University’s account number 40910106770.

The defendants were also alleged to have fraudulently withdrawn N16.3 million between the same date from Hezekiah University’s account number 411054152 without any authorisation from the account owner with the intention of converting same to their personal use contrary to the Money Laundering Act, among other counts.

Earlier, O S. Kara, who appeared for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), informed the court that after the office of the AGF took over the case and after reviewing the case, the AGF withdrew the charge.

Chidi Ezenwafor, representing Mr Duru, disagreed with Mr Kara’s application to withdraw the charge.

Mr Ezenwafor told the court that the request to withdraw the charge was an attempt to re-arrest his client.

He said the charge was filed in 2023 when Mr Duru was arrested and detained for about two months and released after a court order.

The lawyer, therefore, sought to file an application in response to the AGF’s request.

Justice Ekwo ordered Mr Ezenwafor to file his application and serve the prosecution and directed the AGF lawyer to respond appropriately.

The judge then adjourned the matter until May 14 for adoption.

However, shortly after Mr Duru and his family members came out of Court 5, where the proceeding was heard, the EFCC operatives, who had laid ambush outside the court, wanted to arrest him, and he ran back into the courtroom.

Although Justice Ekwo was already on another matter, there was confusion in the court as security details attached to the judge blocked the EFCC operatives from arresting Mr Duru inside the courtroom.

Mr Duru’s lawyer, who was still inside the court, called the judge’s attention to their plights.

Mr Ezenwafor, while addressing the court, said the event outside the court had just confirmed his earlier submission that the anti-graft agency was in and around the court to arrest his client.

He said the action of the EFCC was in contempt of court and amounted to sacrilege, even when the matter was still pending before the court, and the matter had just been adjourned for hearing.

Justice Ekwo directed Mr Duru to sit in the courtroom and ordered the EFCC operatives not to arrest him on the premises.

The judge said if Mr Duru was needed, the commission should formally invite him, and if he didn’t come, that would be a different case.

The judge then told his security details not to allow anyone to arrest the defendant in court.

After the court sitting and the judge rose, some of the commission’s officers entered the courtroom to engage Mr Duru in conversation, but the court security details did not allow them to take him away.

Despite the judge’s intervention, operatives of the anti-corruption commission stood their ground, as they positioned themselves on the third floor of the high-rise building where Court 5 is located.