Moriah Trust Limited and its alter ego, Mr. David Nwedu, have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged fraudulent activities by Ecobank Nigeria Plc involving a $285,006 Advance Payment Guarantee (APG) Bond.
The petition also seeks accountability for bank officials allegedly complicit in these transactions.
The petition, titled “Criminal Complaint Against Ecobank Nigeria Plc on an Attempt to Defraud Moriah Trust Limited of an Advance Payment Guarantee Bond No G 00613 for $285,006,” was dated November 13, 2023, and filed with the EFCC on January 26, 2024. It was signed by Olabanji A. Eniola Esq. of Umar, Gimba & Associates, solicitors to the petitioner.
The document sighted by TheNiche, reveals that Moriah Trust Limited, a customer of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, operates a domiciliary account (No. 2230509622). In 2005, while executing the “Abidjan Lagos Transport Corridor” project, Mr. Nwedu, on behalf of Moriah Trust, requested a 20% APG of the contract sum of $1,425,032.70. Ecobank approved the request, crediting $285,006 to the account.
However, the petition states that the International Development Association (IDA), the project’s awarding body, had earlier advanced $70,000 to the petitioner. As a result, only $215,006 of the APG remained payable. On November 14, 2005, the IDA transferred $214,996 to Ecobank on behalf of Moriah Trust Limited, deducting $10 as bank transfer charges. This amount was purportedly warehoused by Ecobank pending the discharge of the APG.
On January 5, 2006, Mr. Nwedu fulfilled his contractual obligations and returned the APG document to Ecobank for discharge.
Surprisingly, instead of crediting the warehoused $214,996, Ecobank allegedly credited the domiciliary account with $20,060,118 on January 18, 2006, an amount grossly in excess of the expected sum.
The petition claims that Mr. Nwedu immediately notified Ecobank of the error. The bank reportedly responded that it had erroneously credited the naira equivalent of the warehoused funds to the domiciliary account. Following this, Ecobank allegedly deactivated the account without informing or obtaining the consent of Moriah Trust Limited, leaving the erroneous credit balance intact.
Efforts to resolve the issue proved futile. In 2008, Mr. Nwedu deposited $17,000 to reactivate the account and reconcile the statements, but the bank allegedly failed to act. A further deposit of $3,000 in 2009 also did not yield any results, as Ecobank reportedly continued to deny the petitioner access to the account.
The situation has caused significant challenges for Mr. Nwedu. Since 2019, the IDA has demanded a project closure report, which he has been unable to provide due to his restricted access to the account. This has reportedly led to allegations of fiduciary breaches against him, causing irreparable damage to his reputation.
The petition accuses Ecobank Nigeria Plc of deliberately withholding access to the account, raising suspicions of fraudulent activity involving the APG funds. It urges the EFCC to investigate the matter thoroughly, identify any officials involved, and ensure justice is served.
“The actions of Ecobank Nigeria Plc constitute an attempt to defraud Moriah Trust Limited of its hard-earned funds,” the petition reads, adding that the EFCC chairman should intervene to uncover any illegal transactions and protect the petitioner’s financial interests.
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