The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, October 19, 2026, presented its First Prosecution Witness, PW1, Arnold Mozia, in the trial of one Joseph Igbeka over an alleged obtaining by false pretence and stealing to the tune of $200,000 before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja.
Igbeka was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on June 17, 2026, on a four-count charge bordering on an alleged obtaining by false pretence and stealing to the tune of $200,000.
One of the counts reads: “Joseph Igbeka, on or about the 9th day of September, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the sum of N274,140,000 (Two Hundred and Seventy Four Million, One Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) being the naira equivalent of $180,000, by false pretence, from Arnold Mozia, thereby committed an offence obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(2) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
Another count reads: “Joseph Igbeka, on or about the 9th day of September, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with dishonest intent, did steal the sum of N274,140,000( Two Hundred and Seventy Four Million, One Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira), being the naira equivalent of $180,000, property of Arnold Mozia, thereby committed an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
He pleaded “ not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, the first prosecution witness, Mozia, who is the petitioner, told the court that Igbeka, on February 26, 2025, provided three bank accounts into which the naira equivalent of the sum of $20,000, amounting to N29,940,000, was to be paid.
Giving details of the accounts, Mozia, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Ebareotu Pereagbe, said: “ The accounts were Saint_OTS Limited’s account number 1306636072 domiciled in Providus Bank; Owolabi Temitayo Samuel’s account number 1381361382 domiciled in Access Bank and Olagoke Hammed’s account number 8169308659 domiciled in PalmPay.”
Asked how he transferred the money to the defendant, he said: “I transferred, through my Zenith Bank account, a sum of N10 million to Saint_OTS Limited; N12 million to Samuel and N7.94 million to Hammed on Igbeka’s instruction.”
In his further testimony regarding a separate transaction in September 2025, the PW1 stated that Igbeka instructed him to transfer the naira equivalent of an additional $180,000 for investment in forex trading.
“Specifically, on September 9, 2025, he provided me with three bank accounts for the transfers. They were Saint_OTS Limited’s Kuda Bank account number 3002630666; Owolabi Temitayo Samuel’s Access Bank account number 1381361382; and Oluzo Adeglo Bal Limited’s Access Bank account number 1773485812.
“ So, I transferred N90 million to Saint_OTS Limited, N14.14 million to Samuel, and N170 million to Oluzo Adeglo Bal Limited.”
The PW1 added that Igbeka neither paid the loan and interest nor returned the investment capital and the agreed profit.
The case was adjourned till December 8, 2026 for continuation of trial.
