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AGF battles Polaris Bank, staff for diverting customer’s N16.5bn

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The Kayode Lawal-led Polaris Bank Limited is currently entangled in alleged N16.5 billion fraud.

This is as the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has taken over the prosecution of the bank and a staff member, Chinenye Duru, for diverting N16.5 billion belonging to a customer of the bank.

The office of the Inspector General of Police, which filed the case in December 2023, accused Polaris Bank and Mr Duru of fraudulently diverting over N16.5 billion from a customer’s various accounts within nearly eight years.

The police identified the bank customer and the victim of the alleged crime as Onukogu Victor Hezekiah, the spiritual head of the Living Christ Mission Church, Onitsha, Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.

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According to the prosecution, the defendants diverted the money from Mr Hezekiah’s accounts between 2017 and 2023, while Mr Duru served as the customer’s account officer. Mr Hezekiah is fondly called Daddy Hezkiah by his followers.

A lawyer from the AGF office, V.J. Alma, informed the trial judge, Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that Mr Fagbemi directed the takeover of the case from the police in the exercise of his powers as the AGF under Section 174(1)(b) of the Nigerian constitution.

Mr Alma did not give any reason for the AGF office’s decision to take over the case.

“We have written a letter to the Nigerian police notifying them of this position and requesting the original case file in a letter dated 29 May 2024,” the lawyer said. “We are still waiting for the original case file.”

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Mr Ekwo asked Mr Alma if the AGF office had written to the court about the development, and the lawyer responded in affirmative.

Mr Alma urged the court to fix the matter for trial on a date after the about-to-commence annual vacation of judges.

The judge then told Mr Duru’s lawyer, Chidi Ezenwafor, to advise Polaris Bank, the 1st defendant in the case, to engage a lawyer to represent it in the case.

Mr Ekwo postponed the hearing in the case till 18 and 19 November for trial.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Inspector-General of Police arraigned Mr Duru on 11 counts on 19 January.

He pleaded not guilty to the counts.

The judge remanded Mr Duru in a correctional facility pending the hearing of his bail application.

Polaris Bank and Mr Duru are the first and the 2nd defendants in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/603/2023.

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In the charges, the prosecution accused Polaris Bank and Mr Duru of fraudulently withdrawing N16.5 billion from Mr Hezekiah’s account numbers 1040495455 and 1060104735 between 17 November 2017 and 14 August 2023.

Within the same period, the prosecution alleged that the defendants also fraudulently withdrew N75.534 million from the customer’s other account, 4010023601.

According to the prosecution, the defendants also fraudulently withdrew N13.3 million from the customer’s account number 40910106770 and N16.3 million from his other account number 411054152 within the same period.

The charges said the defendants withdrew the money without authorisation from the owner of the accounts with the intent of converting it for their personal use.

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The police charged the offences under sections 18 (2) and 21 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022. Some of the offences are punishable under section 18(3) of the money laundering law, the police said.

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Rainstorm wreaks havoc at Kwara NYSC orientation camp

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Rainstorm has destroyed properties worth millions of naira at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Yikpata, Kwara State.

Tribune Online gathered that the heavy downpour, which began early Saturday morning, was accompanied by strong winds that wreaked havoc across the camp premises.

According to a source, the extent of the damage was significant, as key structures affected included the multipurpose hall, the administrative block, the camp mosque, and several hostel blocks housing corps members and camp officials.

The rainstorm also left a trail of destruction on the camp’s saluting dais and the newly constructed volleyball court, which had been one of the major attractions within the camp.

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In addition, two vehicles belonging to camp officials were completely destroyed when a big tree, uprooted by the strong wind, crashed down on them, rendering them beyond repair.

An official of the NYSC in the camp suggested that relevant authorities should take steps to assess the extent of the damage for necessary repair work, in order to restore affected facilities and ensure the continuity of activities in the orientation camp.

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‘My husband always makes love throughout the night until morning’ – Woman Wants Divorce

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A 37-year-old woman, Linda Stephen, on Tuesday, approached a Kaduna Customary Court, seeking divorce over her husband, Felix Stephen’s excessive sexual demands.

In her petition, Mrs Stephen, a resident of Ungwan Sunday in Kaduna, also accused her husband of beating her whenever she rejected his sexual advances. They have been married for six years.

She told the court that she was no longer interested in the marriage as she can no longer cope with the husband’s excessive demand for sex.

“I urge the court to dissolve this marriage because I can’t stand his excessive sexual urge. He likes sex too much, and I can’t bear it.

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“Most times, he would have sex with me from midnight till early hours of the morning. Even when I am crying, he will not stop.

“It has been three months since I moved out of his house, his relatives have been pleading with me to go back to him, but they do not know what I am facing,” she said.

She further said that her husband does not control himself whenever he needed sex, and that whenever she refused his sexual advances, he would beat her up, even in front of their two kids.

‘I’m ready to control my urge’ -Husband

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Stephen, in his response, told the court that he is in love with his wife.

He pleaded with the court to help him pacify her, and not to grant her wish.

Stephen said he had been pleading with her wife not to seek for divorce, as he was now ready to control his sexual urge.

“I took my uncles and friends to her parents house to plead with her. But she refused to listen to us instead she walked out on us,’’ Stephen said.

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He further pleaded with the court to give him time to sort things out and reconcile with his wife.

The judge, John Dauda, adjourned the matter until May 6 for a feedback and outcome of the reconciliation, while advising them to maintain peace.

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Police uncover human trafficking ring, rescue 84 trafficked Congolese in Oyo

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The Oyo State Police Command has rescued 84 Congolese from a human trafficking syndicate operating in Ibadan, the state capital.

The victims were allegedly held captive for an unknown period in a building located in the Orogun area of Ibadan.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the victims were trafficked to Nigeria under the pretence of providing employment opportunities for them.

According to reports, the human traffickers had extorted large sums of money, reportedly in US dollars, from the victims’ families and relatives as part of their scheme to lure the victims into the country.

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In a video shared by Channels TV, the rescued individuals, including a baby, were seen being escorted to police vans and buses.

The victims were later transported to the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where they are currently being held while investigations continue.

However, attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of Oyo State Command, Adewale Osifeso, for comment on the development were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his phone were not responded to at the time of this report.

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