Onwuzuruike Ikenna Kingsley, President of the United States-based Prime Trust Credit Union Bank was arraigned before Justice A.T. Mohammed on Tuesday. Kingsley who is also known as Jeff Sikora was called before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on an eight-count charge that edged conspiracy, forgery, possession of proceeds, and obtaining money by false ways. The charge against Sikora amounted to be $8,502,000.
When the charges as such as in one of the count read: “you Onwuzuruike Ikenna Kingsley (a.k.a Jeff Sikora) on or about the 28th day of December 2019, at Umuahia, Abia State within the jurisdiction of this honorable court with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of ($6,500,000.00) six million, five hundred thousand United States Dollars through web transfer from one Mr. Selah Elnagar Ali Ahmed, a citizen of the Arabic Republic of Egypt, with the pretense that he is a beneficiary of inheritance funds in a fixed deposit account of Prime Trust Financial Bank, USA, a pretext you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act,” he pleaded not guilty.
Further in this matter, on one hand, the defense counsel has informed the court about the pending application for bail of Mr. Sikora, whilst the prosecution has asked the court for a short adjournment. The defense counsel, R.E. Wanogho’s application has been opposed by the prosecution counsel, M.T Iko barring to the fact that he received the application the same morning and wanted some time to study it.
What led to Sikora’s arrest after the actionable intelligence that was received by the Commission on his alleged fraudulent activities. On January 26th, 2020, the defendant was arrested by operatives of in Umuahia, Abia State.
In an intent to defraud his crimes, Kingsley, when investigated, tried to wrongly present himself as some Jeff Sikora who is President of Prime Trust Credit Union Bank based in the United States of America, by using his fraud identity card. Kingsley is also said to have defrauded and Egyptian of $6,500,000 by using the fraud identity card of Mr. Sikora by proving him to be a beneficiary of Inheritance funds in an F.D. account of Prime Trust Financial Bank.
Another claim upon Kingsley is to collect $2000 transferred to him by his partner in crime, Obi Texas. This sum is considered as a part of the heist.