UPDATED: EFCC operatives attempt to arrest Polaris Bank official in court

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, attempted to arrest Chinenye Duru, a Polaris Bank staff member, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The arrest came shortly after a judge of the court, Inyang Ekwo, adjourned an alleged fraud charge filed by the Nigerian police against Polaris Bank Plc and Mr Duru until 14 May for adoption of arguments regarding an application.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian police had preferred 11 counts of money laundering against Polaris Bank Plc and Mr Duru, an account officer to Victor Onukogu, the nominal complainant.

NAN reports that Onukogu, also known as “Daddy Hezekiah”, is the spiritual head of Living Christ Mission Church, Onitsha in Anambra.

Earlier, O S. Kara, who appeared for the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), informed the court the AGF had taken over the case and decided to withdraw it after reviewing it.

Chidi Ezenwafor, who represented Mr Duru, disagreed with Mr Kara’s application to withdraw the charge.

Mr Ezenwafor told the court that the request to withdraw the charge was an attempt to re-arrest his client.

He said the charge was filed in 2023, and when Mr Duru was arrested and detained for about two months before he was released after a court order.

The lawyer, therefore, sought to file an application in response to the AGF’s request.

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The judge, Mr Ekwo, ordered Ezenwafor to file his application and serve the prosecution.

He directed the lawyer from the AGF office to also respond appropriately.

The judge then adjourned the matter until 14 May for adoption of arguments regarding the motion.

However, shortly after Mr Duru and his family members came out of the Courtroom 5, where the proceedings took place, EFCC operatives, who had laid ambush outside the court tried to arrest him but he ran back into the courtroom.

Mr Ekwo was already on another matter when Mr Duru ran back in for cover. The situation created confusion in the court as security details attached to the judge blocked the EFCC operatives from arresting Mr Duru inside the courtroom.

Mr Duru’s lawyer, who was still inside the court, called the attention of the judge to their plights.

Mr Ezenwafor, while addressing the court, said the event outside the court had just confirmed his earlier submission.

He said security officers of the anti-graft agency were in and around the court to arrest his client.

He said the action of the EFCC was in contempt of court and amounted to sacrilege, even when the matter was still pending before the court and the matter had just been adjourned for hearing.

Mr Ekwo, who directed Duru to sit down in the courtroom, ordered the EFCC operatives not to arrest him in court.

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The judge said if Mr Duru was needed, the commission should formally invite him. He said it would be a different ball game if he failed to honour the invitation.

The judge then told his security details not to allow anyone to arrest the defendant in court.

After the court finished sitting and the judge rose, some of the commission’s officers entered the courtroom to engage Mr Duru in conversation but the court security details did not allow them to take him away.

In the pending case initiated by the Nigerian police, Count 1 alleged that between 17 November 2017, and 14 August 2023, Polaris Bank and Mr Duru fraudulently withdrew N16 billion and N500 million from Onukogu Victor Hezekiah’s accounts – 1040495455 and 1060104735 – domiciled with the bank. The prosecution alleged that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 21 (a) and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act, 2022.”