The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned an alleged fake car dealer, Chukwuebuka Anacletus Ogbonna, before the Enugu State High Court over an alleged ₦15.4 million vehicle importation fraud.
Ogbonna, who allegedly operated under the business name Monpere’s Autos, was arraigned by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the EFCC before Justice Vincent Ezeugwu at the Enugu State High Court, Independence Layout, Enugu, on a four-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion.
According to the EFCC, the defendant allegedly fraudulently converted money entrusted to him by a petitioner, Mr. Paulson Nwakoby, for the purchase and importation of three vehicles.
The Commission said Ogbonna allegedly received ₦15.4 million from the petitioner in October 2023 after promising to facilitate the importation of three vehicles and deliver them on or before December 25, 2023.
However, the defendant allegedly failed to deliver the vehicles and also failed to refund the money, prompting the petition that led to his arrest and prosecution.
One of the counts alleged that Ogbonna, sometime in September 2023, in Enugu, fraudulently converted ₦4 million meant for the purchase of vehicles to his personal use.
Another count alleged that between November 28 and December 10, 2023, he fraudulently converted another ₦4 million belonging to the same petitioner.
The EFCC said the alleged offences contravene Section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State, and are punishable under Section 353(1) of the same law.
When the charges were read to him, Ogbonna pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE II Rotimi Ajobiewe, asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant pending the hearing of his bail application.
Justice Ezeugwu adjourned the matter until July 16, 2026, for hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody.
Ogbonna has not been convicted of the allegations.
