Victor Ezeja
Former Group Managing Director of First Bank, Dr. Bisi Onasanya, made an appearance before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday in a bold attempt to clear his name and show his innocence over a lingering loan controversy in the bank.
Alongside Soji Akintayo, a director at Honeywell Group, former First Bank Chairman Oba Otudeko, and Anchorage Leisure Limited, a company, Onasanya is disputing allegations of fraud pertaining to a commercial loan transaction at the bank while serving as Group Managing Director.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOnasanya’s appearance is consistent with the pledge made by his lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), when the case was initially heard on 20 January 2025.
Olasupo Shashore (SAN), another lawyer for Onasanya, contended that while the former banker is committed to defending his innocence and clearing his name, he agrees with Otudeko’s counsel that the court ought to consider the preliminary application contesting its jurisdiction before pursuing the case.
The lead counsel for the first defendant (Otudeko), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court that the matter is civil in nature because it deals with a bank-customer relationship and should not be handled as a criminal case by the court.
Chief Olanipekun (SAN) was backed by Ade Adedeji (SAN), the lawyer for Anchorage Leisure Limited, the fourth defendant, who accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of having the intention of intimidating and harassing his clients even though the loan had been fully repayed since 2017 and all parties had reached an agreement to end the case.
“We filed a preliminary objection, but the EFCC has yet to reply. The loan, which is the subject of prosecution, has long been repaid since 2017, when the EFCC initially waded into the matter. There is clear evidence of repayment available,” the lawyer stated.
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“The continued pursuit of this case by the EFCC amounts to nothing but witch-hunting, intimidation, and harassment of the defendants. It is baffling why a matter that was resolved many years ago is suddenly being resurrected,” he added.
According to him, an application dated 10 February 2025 had been made, requesting the court to quash or decline jurisdiction over counts 1 to 10, alleging abuse of judicial process and a lack of prima facie evidence.
However, the EFCC Prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) said the 13-count charge’s accusations were the result of a thorough investigation.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Aneke postponed the case to 17 March 2025 in order to make a decision regarding jurisdiction.
Onasanya’s lawyer, Olumide-Fusika (SAN), pleaded with the court to permit his client to go back home and show up in court on the next adjourned date, stressing that Onasanya had fulfilled his earlier promise by appearing in court as a sign of respect for the legal system.
The plea was granted by Justice Aneke, allowing Onasanya to return home and attend the next hearing on the adjourned date.
Recall that during the initial hearing, Olumide-Fusika (SAN) criticised the way the case was handled and accused the EFCC of putting his client through a “media trial.”
The first defendant, Oba Otudeko, did not appear in court due to health reasons, but the third defendant, Mr. Soji Akintayo, did.
His counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, submitted an application and an affidavit detailing how and when his client travelled to the United Kingdom for medical reasons via the Muritala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
