The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned two suspects yesterday on a three-count amended charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, inducement, and misleading the public into a fraudulent investment scam in cases related to the CBEX scam.
Awerusuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim were arraigned before Justice Muhammed Umar of the Federal High Court, who was sitting in Abuja.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said one of the count reads: “That you, Awerusuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim, sometimes between January 2024 and May 2025, within the jurisdiction of this honorable Didi invite the public to deposit money for a fixed period or payable on call with CRYPTO BRIDGE EXCHANGE (CBEX) with a promise of up to 88 per cent return on investment without obtaining the written consent of the Securities and Exchange Commission and you therefore, committed an offense contrary to section 96(1) of the investment and security act 2025and punishable under section 96(5) of the same act.”
Another reads: That you Aweosuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim, sometimes between January 2024 and May 2025, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst not being a bank or person authorized to take deposit invited the public through advertisement to deposit funds with CRYPTO BRIDGE EXCHANGE (CBEX) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 44(1) of the Banks and other Financial Institution Act, 2020 and punishable under Section 44(2) of the same Act.
When the charges were read to them, they pleaded not guilty, prompting the prosecution counsel, Fadila Yusuf, to urge the court to remand the defendant to a correctional facility and adjourn the matter for hearing.
Responding, defence counsel, J.A. Otorudo, informed the court that the defence has an application for bail for the defendants. In her reaction, the EFCC’s counsel objected to the application and restated her earlier plea that the defendants be remanded in a correctional centre.
“The learned counsel is very elaborate before this honourable court, he had complained of the EFCC holding them in our facility, and we are saying if they are not comfortable with us, they are before the court now, my Lord can move them to more comfortable accommodation”, she said
In his ruling, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to July 18, 2025, for ruling on the bail application and remanded the defendant at Kuje Correctional Centre.
