EFCC re-arraigns lawyer over alleged N91m land fraud in Enugu
EFCC Re-arraigns Lawyer Over Alleged N91 Million Land Fraud
The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned attorney Mike Ikegbunam in the Federal High Court in Enugu on charges related to an alleged N91 million land fraud scheme.
The defendant faced Justice M. T. Segun-Bello on a seven-count indictment, which includes accusations of money laundering and obtaining money under false pretenses. Ikegbunam, initially arraigned on January 31, 2024, before a different judge, pleaded not guilty to all allegations. He had previously been released on bail under self-recognisance and was instructed to deposit his Call to Bar Certificate with the court.
Prosecutors allege that Ikegbunam misappropriated substantial funds from members of the Senior Staff Association of Universities, Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes, and Associated Institutions of Nigeria. He purportedly promised to secure plots of land for the members in Anambra State. Among the charges, prosecutors claim he received N25 million on August 16, 2022, and N20 million on October 26, 2022, both under the guise of facilitating land acquisitions in Orumba North Local Government Area.
During the proceedings, EFCC counsel Mainforce Adaka Ekwu requested a trial date to enable the prosecution to present its case. In contrast, defense attorney S. E. Nnonyelu sought to continue the earlier bail conditions established by the previous judge. The court granted this request.
Justice Segun-Bello subsequently scheduled the trial to begin on October 21 and 22, 2026. Ikegbunam was arrested on July 12, 2023, following a complaint from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital branch of the association, indicating that members had paid him N91 million for the purchase of 130 plots of land. Investigations revealed that he allegedly reimbursed N10 million to the association and that approximately N16.5 million of the funds was reportedly used to acquire three plots of land in Awka for personal purposes.
