First Bank, MD, Branch Manager, Two Lawyers  Enmeshed In Forgery Scandal

The Federal Government has filed charges against First Bank of Nigeria Limited, its managing director and three others over allegations bordering on forgery.

The charge sheet, marked CR/266/2023 before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, also name two lawyers, Muftau Ande and Dibiaezue Chuks, as well as the Utako Branch Manager of First Bank, Abuja.

In the charge sheet filed by the Federal Ministry of Justice, the five defendants were accused, among other things, of forging a “tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with intent to commit fraud.

”The defendants were also accused of dishonestly dispossessing Nwufor of his property using the forged tripartite legal mortgage.

The prosecution claimed that the defendants had sometime in 2016, within the jurisdiction of the court, conspired to forge a tripartite legal mortgage without the consent of the proprietor of Whiteplain British School, Mr. Francis Chukwumah Nwufor, with the intent to commit fraud.

In the first count, the defendants were charged with forgery and criminal conspiracy contrary to sections 96  and 363 of the Penal Code.

Furthermore, the prosecution alleged that the defendants committed a criminal breach of trust contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code and said they are liable to be punished under Section 312 of the same law.

In the third count, the defendants were accused of dishonestly dispossessing Nwufor of his property while being entrusted with the tripartite legal mortgage.

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned till May 8 for arraignment after the prosecution lawyer, Ndidi Ezinwa-Ukoha, said all the defendants had yet to be served with the charge.

When contacted by Punch Newspaper , a First Bank spokesperson, Ismail Omamegbe, said he would need to speak with the bank’s legal team and get back to the correspondent.