The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Fidet Okhiria, a former managing director (MD) of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), over alleged fraud to the tune of $385,000 and N165,438,000.
Okhiria was arraigned
on a seven-count charge before the special offences court in Ikeja,
Lagos state, on Tuesday.
“That you, Fidet Okhiria Edetanle, while serving as the
Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, between May 29, 2024,
and September 11, 2024, in Lagos, transferred a cumulative sum of Two Hundred
and Five Thousand United States Dollars ($205,000.00) from your domiciliary
account in Access Bank Plc (account number 0010069159) to the account of Ehimen
Richard Okhiria at ABN AMRO Bank, Netherlands (account number
NL38ABNA011257662), being proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing money
laundering,” part of the charge sheet reads.
“You, Fidet Okhiria Edetanle, after leaving office, between
October 21, 2024, and November 21, 2024, in Lagos, transferred Forty Thousand
United States Dollars ($40,000.00) from your Access Bank domiciliary account to
the account of Ehimen Richard Okhiria at ABN AMRO Bank, Netherlands, being
proceeds of unlawful activities, committing money laundering.”
The former NRC boss pleaded not guilty to the charges
preferred against him.
After the plea, Abba Muhammad, EFCC counsel, asked the court
to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending
trial.
Meanwhile, Adebowale Kamoru, counsel for the defendant, informed the court that he had just received the charge and requested a short adjournment to file a bail application.
Rahman Oshodi, the trial judge, ordered Okhiria to be
remanded at the correctional facility.
The case was adjourned to May 13, 14, and 15, 2026 for
trial.
Okhiria was appointed NRC MD in 2016 by then-President
Muhammadu Buhari. He left office in 2024 after the expiration of his eight-year
tenure.
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