LAGOS, NIGERIA – Former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), Oba Otudeko, has reportedly fled the country as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) closes in on him over a 13-count charge of alleged fraud.
Sources revealed that Otudeko left Nigeria via a land border, with a family member dropping him off at the Nigeria-Benin border on the evening of Thursday, January 16, 2025.
Recall, the EFCC had earlier filed charges against Otudeko and three co-defendants at the Federal High Court in Lagos, accusing them of fraudulently securing a ₦30 billion loan.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that the defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, January 20, 2025.
The other individuals facing charges include: Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, a former Group Managing Director of FBN; Soji Akintayo, an ex-board member of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc; and Anchorage Limited, a company linked to Otudeko.
The EFCC has intensified its efforts to bring the accused to justice.