The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Fidet Okhiria Edetanle, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged $385,000 and ₦165,438,000 fraud.
Edetanle was docked on a seven-count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office, money laundering, and unlawful enrichment by a public official. The offences are said to contravene Sections 332(1) and 332(3), Section 73(1), and Section 82(c) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
According to the EFCC, one of the counts alleges that Edetanle, while serving as Managing Director of the NRC between May 29 and September 11, 2024, transferred a cumulative sum of $205,000 from his domiciliary account with Access Bank Plc to an account belonging to Ehimen Richard Okhiria domiciled in ABN AMRO Bank, Netherlands. The funds were alleged to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
Another count further alleges that after leaving office, between October 21 and November 21, 2024, the defendant transferred an additional $40,000 from his Access Bank domiciliary account to the same Netherlands-based account, also said to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel Abba Muhammad, SAN, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending trial. Defence counsel Adebowale Kamoru informed the court that he had just been served with the charge and sought a short adjournment to enable him to file a bail application.
After hearing both parties, Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter until May 13, 14, and 15, 2026, for commencement of trial. The court ordered that the defendant be remanded in a maximum correctional facility pending the determination of his bail application.
