By Peter Omopo
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Tuesday arraigned a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Fidet Okhiria Edetanle, before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged fraud involving $385,000 and N165,438,000.
Okhiria was brought before Justice Rahman Oshodi on a seven-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering, abuse of office, and unlawful enrichment as a public official. The offences are said to contravene relevant provisions of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
Counsel to the prosecution, Abba Muhammad, SAN, urged the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending trial.
Defence counsel, Adebowale Kamoru, informed the court that he had only just received the charge and requested a short adjournment to enable him file a bail application.
Justice Oshodi ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services and adjourned the matter to May 13, 14 and 15, 2026, for continuation of trial.
According to the charge, Okhiria allegedly transferred $205,000 from his domiciliary account with Access Bank in Lagos to an account belonging to Ehimen Richard Okhiria at ABN AMRO Bank in the Netherlands between May 29 and September 11, 2024, said to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
He was further accused of transferring an additional $40,000 from the same account to the Netherlands-based account between October 21 and November 21, 2024, after leaving office, also alleged to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The EFCC alleges that the transactions constitute money laundering and unlawful enrichment.
