The Enugu State command of the Nigeria Police Force is set to arraign the Managing Director, Zube Investment Bureau de Change Ltd, Mr Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado and Mr Eze Francis for alleged fraud and conspiracy.
In an arraignment notice issued to the duo which SaharaReporters obtained on Tuesday morning, they will be arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court One, Enugu on Tuesday (today) for offences bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence (OBT).
The arraignment notice partly read “Commissioner of Police Versus Eze Francis, and Azubucka Chikwado Igbokwe.
Arraignment Notice: Be informed that the above case of Conspiracy/OBT in which you are a suspect will come up in the Chief Magistrate’s Court One on Tuesday the 24th day of June, 2025 at 8.00am for arraignment and hearing.
“You are requested in your own interest to attend the said Court on time with at least one person to be your surety if you are granted bail. Your would-be surety or sureties must have with them originals and photocopies of Tax Clearance Certificates or Receipts for the past three years.
“Failure to attend the said Court will tantamount to contempt of Court and your coming to the said Court without at least one would-be surety may result in your being remanded in prison custody with its hardship, inconveniences and embarrassment.”
A businessman, Victor Ndubuaku, had petitioned the police and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N2.4million scam against Chikwado and Francis.
Ndubuaku and his brother had in a different petitions claimed that they were allegedly defrauded by one O. Jay and Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado, who claimed to be selling a black Toyota Corolla.
The petition, filed by Torah Jurists Solicitors on behalf of the petitioners’, alleged that Ndubuaku and his brother transferred N2.4m to Chikwado’s First Bank account in two batches, but the car was not handed over to them. “The sum of N2,400,000.00 (two million, four hundred thousand naira) was transferred in two batches into this account number,” the petition read.
The petition SaharaReporters cited on Tuesday, revealed that the first batch of N1.5million was transferred from Wema Bank Plc from the account number of Defrank Exclusive Natural Ltd, while the second batch of N900,000 was transferred from the account number of Daniel Uchenna Chukwu with Access Bank account number 0080677692.
However, after the payment, Mr. Eze Francis, the mechanic who allegedly owned the workshop where the car was kept, refused to hand over the car, claiming that the account number provided was wrong.
“We were defrauded,” Ndubuaku’s solicitors claimed. “The N2,400,000.00 was later converted to US ($) dollars and given out to the said O. Jay by Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado through his company, Zube BDC Ltd, as claimed by the said Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado.”
The petition further revealed that O. Jay is now at large, and Ndubuaku is seeking the EFCC’s intervention to recover his money. “It is to be noted that immediately after the transfer of the said N2,400,000.00 into the account details of Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado, the said O. Jay disappeared without a trace and is now at large,” the petition stated.
The petitioners’ noted that a court in Enugu State had also issued an order directing the First Bank to block the account used for the fraud.
“The petition alleges that Mr. Igbokwe converted the N2.4m into $1,510 using his company ZUBE BDC Ltd, despite knowing the source of the funds.
“We, therefore, appeal to you to use your good offices to attend to this urgent, but sad, horrible and fraudulent situation,” the petition read.
Meanwhile, two court orders seen on Friday, issued by His Worship S. Audu, Chief Magistrate GD1 of Enugu Magistrates’ Court, of Uzo-Uwani Magisterial District, clearly directed the operation manager of First Bank PLC Nsukka to place a Post No Debit (PND) on the account number 1000108491 belonging to Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado, as the account is involved in a fraud case under investigation.
The court further ordered the operation manager of First Bank PLC Nsukka to blacklist the BVN of the same account that links other accounts of the 2nd Respondent and furnish the IPO Inspector Arum Josephine with the transaction details of the account from March 24, 2025, to date.
In another ruling in Suit No: MUZ/MISC/12/2025 between
Daniel Uchenna Chukwu as Applicant and First Bank Plc and Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado as 1st and 2nd Respondents, the court also ordered the operation manager First bank Plc Nsukka, “to Reverse back the sum of nine hundred thousand naira only (N9000,000.00) from the 2nd Respondents account number, fraudulently transferred by the applicant on the 24th day of March, 2025 into First Bank Plc account number 1000108491 belonging to account name Igbokwe Azubuike Chikwado to the rightful account holder Daniel Uchenna Chukwu domiciled in Access Bank Plc.”
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