Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has dismissed a motion filed by United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, three individuals, and a company seeking to disqualify Emmanuel A. Jackson from prosecuting a $950,000 fraud case. The ruling clears the way for the continuation of the criminal trial, which has been ongoing since 2020.
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UBA, along with Chibueze Ojeh, Obinna Nwosu, Emeka Njoku, and Castle Equipment & Logistics Limited, face a five-count amended charge marked FHC/AWK/25/2020. The Defendants are accused of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, fraud, and issuing dud cheques, allegedly defrauding Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, MD/CEO of Vinna Investment Limited.
The Defendants argued that Jackson, a retired Deputy Commissioner of Police, lacked constitutional authority to prosecute the case after retiring in April 2025. They filed the motion citing Section 174 of the Constitution, Sections 66(1) and (2) of the Police Act 2020, and Section 106 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, claiming his continued prosecution was ultra vires and unlawful.
In response, the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) countered that Jackson was formally retained and authorised in writing, to act as the Police’s legal consultant and prosecutor. Sunday Ubani, a PSFU officer, explained that the Police had engaged Jackson to handle civil and criminal matters, including ongoing cases, and that his authority did not require a separate fiat from the Attorney-General.
Justice Dipeolu upheld the PSFU’s objection, ruling that Jackson’s prosecution of the case is lawful, dismissing the Defendants’ motion. The Judge emphasised that the Police have the authority to engage legal counsel for prosecution, and that barring Jackson would not serve justice.
The charges allege that between April 3 and June 30, 2013, the Defendants, acting in concert, deceived Chief Nnamdi Vincent Ezenwa, by falsely claiming they could sell U.S. Dollars at N159 per Dollar. They collected a total of N294,150,000 (approximately $1.85 million), but, transferred only $900,000 to intended recipients in Italy, converting the remaining $950,000 for personal use.
The trial is now set to continue, with the next hearing scheduled for June 4, 2026. The case remains one of Nigeria’s high-profile financial fraud prosecutions, highlighting the role of both banking institutions and law enforcement in tackling complex multi-million-dollar scams.
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