Court Upholds Prosecutor in UBA Fraud Case Dismissal

On April 3, 2023, Justice Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed a motion filed by United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc and three individuals to disqualify Emmanuel Jackson from prosecuting a ₦950,000 fraud case. The case, which has been ongoing since 2020, involves UBA alongside Chibuez Ojeh, Obinna Nwosu, and Emeka Njoku, who are facing five counts of amended charges related to conspiracy and fraud involving the issuance of dud cheques.

The defendants argued that Jackson, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, lacked the constitutional authority to prosecute the case, citing various legal provisions. However, the court upheld the Police Special Fraud Unit's (PSFU) authority to engage Jackson as legal counsel, emphasizing that he was not serving justice inappropriately.

The fraud case involves allegations that the defendants deceived Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, the Managing Director of Vinna Investment Limited, by falsely claiming to sell U.S. dollars at an inflated rate, resulting in a total of ₦294,150,000 (approximately $1.85 million) being transferred. The next hearing is scheduled for June 4, 2026.