A Union Bank compliance officer, Mr. Chidubem Ogbura, on Monday told the Federal High Court in Lagos that Friday Audu is a signatory to an account used in laundering over ₦3.4 billion linked to a 792-member cyber and romance fraud syndicate.
Ogbura, testifying before Justice Daniel Osiagor as the first prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Audu and three others, said he received a regulatory request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on December 16, 2024, concerning Genting International Ltd.
He explained that the account, held with Union Bank and registered under Genting International Company Ltd, listed Audu and another individual as signatories. According to him, the account was not opened for “gaining business,” as indicated in the bank’s Know Your Customer (KYC) documentation.
During cross-examination by Clement Onwuenwunor (SAN), counsel to the second defendant, the witness confirmed that Friday Audu and Bafale Yakubu were the account’s signatories. He also told the court that the names of the second and third defendants appeared in the account statements. However, when questioned by Adeniyi Joshua, counsel to the third defendant, Ogbura stated that the third defendant was neither a signatory nor a director of the company.
The court admitted the account opening documents and statements into evidence without objection. After his testimony, Ogbura was discharged from the witness stand. Emeka Ukpoko (SAN), counsel to the first defendant, subsequently asked the court to direct the Nigerian Correctional Service to provide a medical report on the second defendant, citing health concerns.
Justice Osiagor adjourned the matter to July 4, 2025, for continuation of trial.
The EFCC had earlier arraigned Friday Audu, Huang Haoyu, An Hongxu, and Genting International Ltd on a 12-count charge bordering on cybercrime, money laundering, and illegal forex dealings. All defendants pleaded not guilty. According to the EFCC, the accused conspired with a fugitive, Dualiang Pan, to defraud victims through romance scams and cryptocurrency schemes, using Nigerian youths to impersonate foreign nationals.
The commission further alleged that the group retained $2.5 million in cryptocurrency wallets and moved over ₦2 billion through unauthorized forex transactions outside the channels approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
