Crime
UBA Head of Operations Sentenced to 40 Years Jail for theft
The Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced the Head of Operations at the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Fredrick Caulker, to a total of forty (40) years’ imprisonment for corruption-related offences involving the misappropriation of public funds.
Delivering judgment at the Main Law Courts Building, Court of Appeal Judge, Honourable Justice Aiah Simeon Allieu, found Caulker guilty on four counts of misappropriation of public funds, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008, as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2019.
The offences related to PAYE and withholding tax payments made by the Small Holder Commercialization Agri-Business Development Project (SCADeP) to the National Revenue Authority
According to the prosecution, the accused, of No. 38A Taylor Street, Wellington, Freetown, abused his position as Head of Operations at UBA by diverting tax payments intended for the NRA into accounts other than the designated NRA accounts, on various dates and in various sums.
During the trial, the prosecution called eight witnesses, including a banker from Commerce Mortgage Bank.
Prosecution Witness Two (PW2), a former subordinate of the accused at UBA, testified that in November 2023 he processed several financial transactions on the instruction of Caulker. He told the court that some of the funds, including amounts of Le. 293,749.80, Le. 169,134.29, Le. 1,291,623.50, and Le. 255,725.81, were originally meant to be paid into NRA accounts but were instead redirected to other accounts following instructions from the accused.
Prosecuting Witness 2 further stated that in one instance, Caulker claimed to have received a call indicating that an initial transfer was a mistake and subsequently instructed that the funds be paid into a different account, providing specific account details.
On count five, which alleged conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, Justice Allieu held that the prosecution failed to establish the essential elements of conspiracy. The accused was therefore acquitted and discharged on that count.
However, on counts one to four, the court found Caulker guilty and sentenced him to ten (10) years’ imprisonment on each count. The judge ordered that the sentences run consecutively, resulting in a cumulative sentence of forty (40) years.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the convict to pay Le. 1,980,233.40 into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The amount is to be paid within ninety (90) days from the date of the judgmen
Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court in Freetown has sentenced the Head of Operations at the United Bank of Africa (UBA), Fredrick Caulker, to a total of forty (40) years’ imprisonment for corruption-related offences involving the misappropriation of public funds.
Source: SierraLeone loaded
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a popular Lagos socialite, Emeka Okonkwo Daniel (a.k.a. E-Money), for allegedly abusing the Naira note.
Our correspondent gathered that he was arrested on Monday night at his residence in the Omole area of Lagos.
Sources within the commission on Tuesday said E-Money was arrested for allegedly spraying United States dollars, an act said to be in violation of the Foreign Exchange Act.
One of the sources said, “On Monday night, we arrested E-Money for Naira abuse and defacing foreign currencies. Specifically, he was alleged to have sprayed U.S. dollars, which is against the Foreign Exchange Act.
“He was arrested at his Omole, Lagos residence. Preliminary investigations are ongoing, and he will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.”
Another source who confirmed his arrest to our correspondent stated that E-Money is currently being flown to Abuja for questioning.
The source, who is not authorised to speak to the press, said, “Yes, he has been arrested and is being flown to Abuja as I speak, to face investigators on the issue.”
When contacted, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale declined to comment on the matter.
Crime
Desmond Chukwuebuka Accused of Financial Misconduct, Forged Academic Records, And Theft of School Property
A school teacher around Abule Egba, Mr. Desmond Chukwuebuka Chiweuba, has been arraigned before Magistrate C.M. Owolabi at the Samuel Ilori Court, Ogba, on charges of theft, forgery, and fraudulent conversion of school funds. The court proceedings, which took place on May 26, 2025, have sparked concerns about accountability within the education sector.
Allegations of Financial Misconduct
An anonymous source within the school, which declined to be named, revealed that Mr. Desmond had been employed since 2023 as the institution’s Quality Assurance officer and, at times, as the Head Teacher. He was responsible for procuring books and other essential school materials. However, he allegedly inflated the prices of these purchases and, in some cases, removed the items from the school premises for personal use.
The school director was alerted to these irregularities, prompting an internal investigation. However, before the inquiry could be concluded, Mr. Desmond reportedly absconded. His disappearance led to a formal complaint being lodged with the police.
Fake Credentials and Forged Invoices Uncovered
During the police investigation, officers uncovered more fraudulent activities linked to Mr. Desmond. A search of his residence reportedly led to the discovery of a booklet of cash sales receipts, which he allegedly used to fabricate invoices for school purchases.
Further inquiries into his academic background raised more red flags. Mr. Desmond had claimed to be a graduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. However, when repeatedly asked to present his certificates, he provided only a statement of results, offering various excuses for his failure to produce the official documents.
Legal Proceedings and Institutional Silence
Mr. Desmond has also been accused of forging invoices to justify fraudulent expenditures. His actions, described as gross misconduct, have tarnished the school’s reputation.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the school director were unsuccessful, as a representative stated she was unavailable.
Following his arraignment, the case has been adjourned until May 22, 2025, for further hearings.
Four officials of the United Bank for Africa, UBA, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly stealing £138,924 (over N270 million) from international airlines’ accounts.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s public relations officer, made this disclosure in a statement on Monday.
Though the police did not name the bank involved in the scam, an investigation by The Witness revealed that the suspects are employees of the Tony Elumelu ‘s UBA Plc.
“The suspects conspired to siphon funds from domiciliary accounts into personal accounts before redistributing them to multiple destinations,” Hundeyin stated.
“The fraud was uncovered when the bank detected unauthorized transactions and alerted the police.”
Providing details of the arrests, Hundeyin said, “Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of the following suspects: Shuaib Oluwatobiloba Olaleye, male, aged 27, was arrested on March 12, 2025, in Ogun State. A Toyota Camry 2012/2013, suspected to be a proceed of the crime, was recovered from him.
“Oladunjoye Adegoke, male, aged 33, was arrested on March 13, 2025, in Victoria Island, Lagos. “A Toyota Camry (Pencil Light), suspected to be another proceed of the stolen funds, was also recovered.
“Further investigation led to the arrest of Austin Alfred, male, aged 38, the Supervisor of the bank’s Trade Services Department, and Jude Uzobuaku, male, aged 36, a processor in the same department. Both facilitated the illegal transfer of funds to foreign accounts.”
Police investigations revealed that the stolen funds were initially funneled into an account belonging to one of the suspects before being distributed to multiple other accounts to evade detection.
Authorities are now working to identify additional accomplices and recover the remaining funds.
“The suspects are in custody and will face prosecution as the investigation continues,” CSP Hundeyin stated.
Meanwhile, the police have urged the public to report suspicious financial transactions, reiterating their commitment to tackling economic crimes.
(WITNESSNGR)
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