The supreme court has affirmed the conviction of Francis Atuche, a former managing director of Bank PHB, over N25.7 billion fraud.

The apex court held in a unanimous judgment on Friday that Atuche failed to show reasons why the trial court’s findings and those of the court of appeal should be discredited.

Moore Adumein, one of the justices, read the judgment.

The court relied on its previous decisions to the effect that where a trial court’s decision on the demeanour of a party or witness is supported by the documentary evidence tendered, an appellate court has no business tampering with the decision of the trial court.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) initially declared Atuche wanted over an alleged fraud of N56 billion, after which he was detained for interrogation at the Ikoyi office of the anti-graft agency.

The commission arraigned Atuche, his wife, Elizabeth, and Ugo Anyanwu, who was the bank’s former chief financial officer, for their involvement in a N25.7 billion fraud in 2011 before Lateefat Okunnu, the judge of a Lagos high court.

In June 2021, the court convicted Atuche and Anyanwu of N25.7 billion fraud.

While Atuche got a six-year jail term, his co-convict was sentenced to four years in jail.

Okunnu held that both convicts defrauded the bank using well-recognised stockbrokers to transfer money under the guise of loans and shares.

“It was a well-planned, well-executed scheme, but the bubble burst when the Central Bank of Nigeria intervened,” the judge had said.

Not satisfied with the high court judgment, Atuche filed an appeal.

The appellate court, however, upheld the conviction and unanimously dismissed the appeal.

The FCT Police Command has arrested four Armed Robbers that attacked and Killed Army Brigadier General Uwem Udukwere in Abuja Sunshine Estate.

CP FCT, Benneth Igweh said two of the robbers now at large went away with the pistol of the retired general.

He declared the robbers wanted and vowed to get them.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided a snake-guarded shrine reportedly used to store illicit drugs in Igor community of Edo.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said the operatives had detected a specially constructed large hole in a wall covered with wallpapers and fetish objects.

Babafemi said different quantities of illicit substances such as methamphetamine, loud, colorado and arizona, with a total weight of 8.743kg, were pulled from the deep hole.

“At least, two ladies: Sonia Chinonso Ezumezu and Risikatu Tijani were arrested during the intelligence-led operation on Tuesday 18th June 2024 after the big black snake guarding the shrine was demobilized,” the statement reads.

The spokesperson said NDLEA operatives also raided the Usen forest in Ovia south-west LGA, Edo state on June 22 where 209kg cannabis and a motorcycle were recovered.

Two suspects, Obi Ferguson and Ernest Abanum, were arrested.

“Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Lagos have intercepted a carefully packaged consignment of 8.2 kilograms of methamphetamine at a motor park in Mazamaza, Ojo area of the state,” the statement reads.

“The highly addictive illicit substance, also called ice or crystal meth, was packed in imported Dunkin’ turtle love chocolate wraps and then concealed in the casing of three loud speakers.

“A 39-year-old suspect, Michael Odiomume who was sending the consignment to Owerri, Imo state was promptly arrested on Wednesday 19th June at the park.

“In Abuja, operatives on Tuesday 18th June intercepted a white Nissan Frontier pick up vehicle with amber lights and fake registration number of a security agency at Kiyi village in Kuje area of the FCT.

“The vehicle was loaded with 454 compressed blocks of cannabis sativa, weighing 340.8kg procured at Uzeba, Edo state.

“A 76-year-old grandfather, Mr. Francis Omofa, linked to the consignment was arrested. He claimed to have been in the illicit drug business for 10 years.”