Ohha Microfinance Bank Drags EFCC To Court Over Fraudulent Property Sales

(African Examiner) –  Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited on Thursday filed a suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), at the Enugu state High Court over the fraudulent sale of a landed property, demanding one billion naira damage.

In the Suit: OHHA MICROFINANCE Bank limited  V. Economic AND Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with suit No. E/177/ 2026,

The Plaintiff stated in the Affidavit in support of the Suit that since 2nd November 2021, when the Court convicted and sentenced Mr.

Oliver Anidiobi a former manager of Sterling Bank who defrauded Ohha of N219 million, and ordered restitution that the properties be sold and proceeds given to the Plaintiff.

Barrister Olu Omotayo , leading two other lawyers Hammed Wasiu Adeyemi Esq. and Desmond Kakaan Esq. filed the action on behalf of the bank, seeking the determination of two questions.

 According to the Counsel, the EFCC officials have refused to show the Plaintiff the very valuable property of the convict, the four bedroom bungalow at the Centenary City Enugu and later stated that the property was missing. 

He noted that  the Plaintiff had thereafter served the Defendant a Pre Action Notice dated 28th January 2025. The Chairman of the Defendant directed the Enugu Zonal office of the defendant to act on the Plaintiffs’ complaints in the Pre Action Notice dated 28th January 2025.

Omotayo said  the Plaintiff was invited to the defendants’ Enugu Zonal office for a meeting on the 25th February 2025.

At the meeting, the friend who came with Oliver Anidiobi, claimed that he was the owner of the land in question but only gave the land to the ex convict free to build thereon on the agreement that he would pay later by installment to the office that allocated the land to him. 

The said friend of Oliver Anidiobi, Omotayo stated  further maintained that when he did not see or hear from the said Oliver, but later heard that he was in jail, he thereafter decided to sell the land to another person and valued the cost of the building on the land and kept the money (around N4 million Naira) for the purpose of refunding Oliver Anidiobi.

He said the  above story is what the officials of the Commission listened to and concluded that the convict is no longer the owner of the property earlier attached for restitution by the court.

After failed efforts made to let the defendant know that it cannot by a so-called compromised fresh investigation of 2025, vary or alter an High Court judgment which was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in 2023, the Plaintiff has to institute this action.

Omotayo, seeking the determination of two questions, which is 

 Whether by virtue of Section 6 (1), (2), (3) & 6(a-b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended), the defendant can open another investigation and in conjunction with the defendant in FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA VS. ANIDIOBI OLIVER CHUKWUKA CHARGE NO: E/162C/2019, and released to a third party property bought through proceeds of crime ordered by the Court in Charge No. E/162C/2019, to be sold and proceeds recovered which are of equal value to the fund stolen by the convict be paid to Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited.

Upon the Determination of the two questions, the Plaintiff shall seek the  following reliefs;

1. A Declaration that the judgment of the Honorable Court in FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA VS. ANIDIOBI OLIVER CHUKWUKA, CHARGE NO: E/162C/2019, which was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in ANIDIOBI OLIVER CHUKWUKA VS. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, APPEAL NO. CA/E/1C/2022, cannot be tampered with by a purported investigation by the defendant in 2025, to deny the Plaintiff benefit of reaping the fruits of judgment secured in her favor.

He also sought A Declaration that the purported investigation of the defendant in the year 2025, in favor of the convict and the third party he sold the uncompleted four bedroom bungalow at Centenary City Enugu to is subversion of the Rule of Law, illegal, unconstitutional, null and void. 

An Order of the Honorable Court directing the defendant to comply  forthwith with the judgment of court in FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA VS.  ANIDIOBI OLIVER CHUKWUKA, CHARGE NO: E/162C/2019, which was  affirmed by the Court of Appeal in ANIDIOBI OLIVER CHUKWUKA VS.  FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, APPEAL NO. CA/E/1C/2022, and sell the  four bedroom bungalow at Centenary City, Enugu, one of the properties  bought through proceeds of crime by the convict and proceeds therefrom  be paid to Ohha Microfinance Bank Limited. 

Also, Omotayo asked for. N1,000,000 000 : 00K (One Billion naira) general damages against the Defendant for wrongdoing and perversion of the course of Justice against the Plaintiff by blocking her in conjunction with the convict from enforcing the judgment given in her favor, and that such other Orders that the Honorable Court may deem fit.

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