The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Chukwuebuka Anacletus Ogbonna, alleged to be a fake car dealer, before Justice Vincent C. Ezeugwu of the Enugu State High Court, Independence Layout, Enugu, over an alleged N15.4 million vehicle import fraud.
According to an official signed statement by the Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, Ogbonna, who traded under the name Monpere’s Autos, was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion involving N15.4 million.
The statement disclosed that one of the charges alleged that the defendant fraudulently converted N4 million entrusted to him by Mr. Paulson Nwakoby in September 2023 for the purchase of vehicles.
Another count alleged that between November 28 and December 10, 2023, Ogbonna similarly converted an additional N4 million belonging to the same petitioner, which had also been entrusted to him for the purchase of vehicles.
The EFCC stated that the offences are contrary to Section 342 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 30, Laws of Enugu State, and punishable under Section 353(1) of the same law.
Ogbonna pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read before the court.
Following his plea, counsel to the EFCC, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE II) Rotimi Ajobiewe, prayed the court for a trial date and urged that the defendant be remanded pending the hearing of his bail application.
Justice Ezeugwu subsequently adjourned the matter until July 16, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.
According to the Commission, the defendant was arrested following a petition alleging that the complainant paid him N15.4 million in October 2023 to facilitate the importation of three vehicles.
The EFCC stated that although the defendant promised to deliver the vehicles on or before December 25, 2023, he allegedly failed to do so and neither supplied the vehicles nor refunded the money to the petitioner.
