EFCC arraigns man for defrauding church members N18.4m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned a middle aged man, Mark Eze, at the Federal High Court in Enugu for alleged fraud.
Eze, along with Dominus Vobiscum Investment Limited, was arraigned on an 11-count charge of false pretence, falsification and obtaining of N18.4 million by tricks from members of a Catholic Church in Enugu.
The accused, a Director in the company, was said to have advertised for deposits from the church members in the company without a valid licence from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The offence contravened Section 44 (1) of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act, Cap B3, Laws of the Federation 2004 punishable under Section 59 (6) of the same Act.
Eze was said to have defrauded nine members of the church to the tune of N18.4 million through false pretence.
He was said to have presented Dominus Vobiscum Investment Limited as an investment company capable of paying high interest returns on the said investment.
When the charges were read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty of the alleged offences.
The counsel to the defence, J. Nwatu, filed a motion for the bail of his client, adding that the constitutional rights of his clients had been severely breached.
The prosecution counsel, Mainforce Adaka, told the court that the bail application motion would not be heard as he was just served prior to the arraignment.
Adaka asked for an adjournment to enable him prepare for a counter affidavit on the motion for bail.
Ruling on the matter, the presiding judge, Justice D. Agishi adjourned the matter to March 16 for hearing on the bail application and ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody.