The federal government has declared Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) employee Odoh Ocheme and two others wanted for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to steal $6.2 million from the bank by forging former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature.
According to a letter from the CBN special investigator’s office addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Ocheme, Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar are accused of conspiring and forging documents to execute the theft.
Eloho Okpoziakpo, Head of Operation at the Office of Special Investigator, signed the letter, which requests placing the individuals on INTERPOL red notice.
The statement elaborated on the allegations, detailing the forged documents used to withdraw the funds from the CBN’s coffers.
The statement partly reads, “In the course of the Special Investigator’s assignment, Mr. Odoh Ocheme, (a staff of the CBN) now at large and the other two accomplices, also now at large, were discovered to have conspired and forged documents in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria with which they stole about US$6,230,000 in cash, from the coffers of the CBN.
“Consequent upon the above, a charge was filed and warrants of arrest have been issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, presided over by Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/19/2024 B/w: Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Adamu Abubakar & 2 Ors for the arrest and production of the Defendants named above for their arraignment.”
Efforts are underway to apprehend the suspects and bring them to justice, as international cooperation is sought through INTERPOL to locate and extradite them from any member state where they may have fled.
