A Port-Harcourt-based oil magnate, Azubuike Uzoma has been dragged before Justice A.T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for alleged illegal dealing in petroleum products to the tune of N24,310,000.
The businessman was arraigned by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 25, 2023.
Uzoma is in court on three counts charges bordering on money laundering and illegal dealing in petroleum products.
One of the count charges reads, “That you, Azubuike Uzoma (Trading under the name & style of ALVIN D INTERNATIONAL) sometime in June 2022 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court took possession of the aggregate sum of N23,310,000.00 (Twenty Three Million, Three Hundred and Ten Thousand Naira) paid into your account with Keystone Bank Limited, when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity, to wit: Illegal dealing in petroleum products and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering Act”.
When the charges were read to him, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution counsel, Abdulrahman Abubakar, following the plea of Uzoma, prayed the court to fix a date for trial and for the defendant to be remanded in a Correctional Service pending trial.
Counsel to the defendant, C J Nmerem, did not oppose the prayers of the prosecution but urged the court to grant his client bail to enable him prepare for his trial.
Justice Mohammed, thereafter, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira), and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be a civil servant with the Rivers State government not below grade level 14, and the other surety shall be a family member of the defendant. The sureties must deposit two recent passport photographs with the court and must have verifiable addresses
The judge adjourned the matter till January 22, 2024, for commencement of trial.
Azubuike’s case started when operatives of the Commission arrested him at Ndoni Community of Onelga Local Government Area of Rivers State for alleged illegal dealing in petroleum products and money laundering.