A civil servant, Chinyere Okoroafor, on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how she was allegedly defrauded of N58.1 million in an investment scheme involving the exportation of bitter kola to Asian countries.
Okoroafor, the first prosecution witness (PW1), testified before Justice Ekerete Akpan in the trial of the Chief Executive Officer of Onome Global Market Resources Limited and Lexicon Multi-concept Media Limited, Osabohein Alex Ologbose, and his wife, Hope Onome Oghelemu.
The defendants and their companies are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence, conversion of funds and money laundering involving N740 million.
At the commencement of proceedings, defence counsel, Peter Femi Joseph, sought an adjournment, saying his team had recently taken over the case and had yet to receive some of the relevant documents.
However, prosecution counsel, O.S. Ujam, opposed the application and urged the court to proceed with the matter. Justice Akpan subsequently rejected the request for adjournment.
While testifying, Okoroafor said she was introduced to the defendants and their companies by Alice Ayeni Alade, a staff member of NEXIM Bank.
According to her, Alade introduced her to an investment opportunity involving the exportation of bitter kola to China, Hong Kong and Indonesia, claiming the produce was used for pharmaceutical purposes in those countries.
“She told me about the return on investment, which looked good and because she was working with NEXIM Bank and we were talking about exportation, I trusted her and believed she knew what she was talking about,” the witness told the court.
She stated that investors were promised returns within eight weeks, explaining that two weeks would be used to source the bitter kola, four weeks for shipment and the remaining two weeks to process payments from foreign partners.
The witness said she invested a total of N58.1 million by paying the money into Alade’s Guaranty Trust Bank account.
According to her, when the investment matured after eight weeks, Alade informed her that she had not received payment from the defendants.
She said the defendants later pleaded with her to be patient, attributing the delay to factors including flooding in China, fire outbreaks in Hong Kong and freight-related issues.
Okoroafor further told the court that the defendants repeatedly assured investors in a WhatsApp group that their money would be paid.
She said Alade subsequently confirmed receiving her N58.1 million and showed evidence that the funds had been transferred to the defendants.
The witness added that Alade also provided documents, including Corporate Affairs Commission records and company profiles of Onome Global Market Resources Limited.
She further disclosed that during a meeting organised by pastors of Living Faith Church, Sunny-Ville Estate, Abuja, the third defendant allegedly knelt and begged investors, promising that they would receive their returns within two weeks.
However, she said she later discovered that there was no investment and that the defendants had no dealings with the foreign companies they had claimed to be working with.
“Till date, I have not received any return on investment from the defendants. I have not even had any communication with them, and I have not received my principal investment,” she said.
Justice Akpan adjourned the matter until July 1, 2026, for cross-examination.
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