EFCC Arraigns Popular Church Elder For Alleged N500m Fraud

Mrs Ugochi Dike, a former senior banker with Polaris Bank, and her husband, Architect Emmanuel Dike, a popular elder of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, have been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The pair appeared in front of a federal high court in Port Harcourt.

Mrs Ugochi Dike is accused of scamming a firm, Clip Nigeria Ltd, of 500 million under the premise of investing in contracts execution with NNPC, SPDC, and other IOCs with explicit terms of investment return to Clip Nigeria Ltd.

The company claimed that they discovered they had been cheated after a time of no returns. Mrs Ugochi Dike was then sought for a refund of the principal amount.

Mrs. Dike stated that she was unable to reimburse the money because her husband, Arch. Emmanuel Dike had invested it in his cryptocurrency trading business.

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The couple who are facing a 5 counts charge with suit number FHC/PH/458C/23 FRN vs UGOCHI EZIAKU DIKE & ORS were brought to court from the custody of the EFCC on a 5 counts charge which includes: “Count 1: Conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences contrary to section 8(a) of Advance Free Fraud and other fraud-related offences Act, 2006 punishable under section 1(3).”

Ajoku granted bail to the accused in the sum of N 1 million each to the pair, noting that the surety must be a Rivers state civil servant up to grade level 12 and must provide a letter of employment and certificate of occupancy.

The court affirmed that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, submit passport photographs, and warn the lawyer to ensure that his clients appear in court at the next sitting.

The judge, however, delayed the trial until January 30, 2024, and remanded the accused to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre till they met the bail requirements.