..And That’s How They Landed In EFCC Net, Arraignment In Court

The detention room of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is not a pleasant place to be; neither is arraignment in court a good story to tell.

However, those have become the lot of some six men captured in the images obtained from EFCC.

Their detention and eventual arraignment before Justice Onah Sergius of the Federal High Court 2, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, follows on alleged involvement in land fraud.

Emmanuel Edet Okon, Essein Edem Archibong, Edet Sam Udoh (alias Enobong Clement Etim), Edwin Etim, Anthony Christopher Atauyo, and Imaikop Okon Dickson are facing justice over allegedly obtaining five million by false pretence and elling another’s land and purporting it to be theirs

The Uyo Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, last Tuesday arraigned them before Justice Onah Sergius of the Federal High Court 2, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, for their alleged involvement in the said land fraud.

They face a 3-count charge bordering on money laundering offences, conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.

The charge reads:

That you, Emmanuel Edet Okon, Essein Edem Archibong, Edet Sam Udoh (alias Enobong Clement Etim), Edwin Etim, Anthony Christopher Atauyo, and Imaikop Okon Dickson, sometime in July 2025, at Uyo, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, using account number 1027675758 domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA), took possession of the total sum of ₦5,980,000.00 (Five Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Thousand Naira only), knowing that the said money formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: obtaining money by false pretence, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read to them.

Following their pleas, prosecution counsel, Khamis Mahmoud prayed the court to fix a date for the prosecution to call its witnesses and establish its case against the defendants.

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However, defence counsel, Peter Ekpo, Nsikak Edet, and Emmanuel Udoi prayed the court for a short date to enable the prosecution file formal bail applications for the defendants.

After listening to both sides, Justice Onah adjourned to November 24, 2025 for bail hearing and trial, and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The defendants’ case began when one Aniekan Etukudo Koffi petitioned the Commission on their alleged criminal activities .

According to the petitioner, the accused persons conspired and defrauded him of ₦6 million by selling him a plot of land located at Ifa Ikot Ubo, Ifa Ikot Okpon-Etoi in Uyo Local Government Area of the State. However, after making payment, he tried to access and develop the land, but was met with resistance, as the sold property did not belong to the defendants.

That was how the police waded in leading to their arrest and eventual arraignment in court.