The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned three senior officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) over alleged fraud, unlawful enrichment and money laundering involving N2.04 billion.
The commission disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
The defendants are Felix Njoku, a former Director of Finance at the NRC, Benjamin Iloanusi, a Director in the corporation’s Procurement Department, and Oche Ogbole-Inalegwu, Director of Mechanical.
They were arraigned on separate charges before judges of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday.
All three pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Njoku was arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe on a 17-count charge involving N736,320,807.08.
The EFCC alleged that, after leaving office as Director of Finance between January 2 and December 3, 2024, he received N240,940,000 from NRC contractors through the bank account of FC Njoku and Company, domiciled at Zenith Bank Plc.
The commission said the funds were linked to contracts awarded during his tenure.
Justice Abike-Fadipe granted Njoku temporary release on health grounds.
She ordered him to deposit his international passport with the court and report to the EFCC Lagos Directorate 1 office every Monday and Friday.
The matter was adjourned to March 10, for hearing of his bail application and to May 11, 12, 18 and 19, for trial.
Mr. Iloanusi was arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu on a 10-count charge involving N915,265,472.60.
The EFCC alleged that between January 4 and December 30, 2022, while serving as Director of Procurement, he received N160,930,458.04 from NRC contractors through accounts domiciled in Polaris Bank Plc in connection with contracts awarded in the course of his duties.
Justice Ijelu remanded him in a correctional centre and adjourned the case to March 3, for the hearing of his bail application and commencement of trial.
Mr. Ogbole-Inalegwu was arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on a nine-count charge involving N395,190,600.
The commission alleged that while serving as Railway District Manager and operating under the name Altech Engineering Services, he received N11,397,500 from China Civil Engineering Construction Company through an Access Bank Plc account in relation to contracts awarded during his official duties.
Justice Dada allowed him to continue on the administrative bail earlier granted by the EFCC and adjourned the case to April 23, for hearing.
The development comes days after the EFCC arraigned a former Managing Director of the NRC Fidet Okhiria before the Special Offences Court in Ikeja over alleged money laundering involving $385,000 and N165,438,000.
He pleaded not guilty to a seven-count charge.
