LAGOS — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a Lagos-based businessman, Christopher Elendu Enyinnwa, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged N30.14 million fraud linked to a botched import deal.
Enyinnwa was docked on a four-count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion and obtaining money under false pretences. According to the anti-graft agency, the charges stem from a failed transaction involving the commercial supply of footwear from China, initiated by the petitioner, Chidebere Love Okafor.
During the court proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, presented the case details, noting that the defendant allegedly received massive cash disbursements under the guise of traveling to facilitate manufacturing and shipping operations overseas.
Breach of Trust Among Worshipers
Testifying as the first prosecution witness (PW1), Okafor Love Chidebere recounted how the relationship degenerated from a bond of faith into a bitter financial dispute. She told the court that she initially crossed paths with the defendant inside their place of worship.
Believing him to be a reliable fellow believer, Okafor approached Enyinnwa after he claimed to possess extensive logistics and supply chains in Asia. Trust superseded caution when she bypassed cheaper alternative manufacturers to award the contract to him.
The financial hemorrhage began in August 2024 when Enyinnwa requested and received an initial deposit of N2 million into his Access Bank account for sampling and preliminary logistics.
Escalating Payments and Endless Excuses
According to the petitioner’s testimony, after Enyinnwa returned from an initial trip to China with prototype adjustments, he demanded an additional N11.923 million to kickstart full-scale production. This was followed by a subsequent demand for N15 million to cover the remaining balance.
As delays mounted, the defendant reportedly blamed travel bottlenecks and administrative hurdles, milking an extra N2 million out of the victims under the pretext of regularizing his travel documentation.
Although the defendant eventually claimed to have flown to China in February 2025 and dispatched a mixed cargo of footwear and apparel, the promised containers never materialized at the port. Subsequent interventions by church leaders yielded empty promises of refunds, forcing the matter to be formally escalated to law enforcement.
Plea, Trial, and Remand Order
Upon the reading of the charges, Enyinnwa entered a plea of not guilty.
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While the defense counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, attempted to stall proceedings by requesting an adjournment to review the case file, Justice Abike-Fadipe overruled the application, clearing the path for the prosecution to open its evidentiary phase.
Following the conclusion of the day’s testimony, the defense requested a subsequent date to properly cross-examine the witness. Justice Abike-Fadipe subsequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional facility and adjourned the matter to November 26, December 16, and December 17, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
