RismadarVoice Reporters
October 21, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a man identified as Abraham Idowu Abiara before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over allegations of stealing and dishonest conversion of funds amounting to more than $626,000.
Abiara was reportedly brought before Justice Ismail Ijelu on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, by the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, Ikoyi.
According to a statement attributed to the anti-graft agency, the defendant is facing a one-count charge bordering on the alleged dishonest conversion of funds entrusted to him.
The commission alleged that Abiara unlawfully converted the money to his personal use in Lagos on or about September 2, 2015.
The alleged offence was said to contravene Section 280(2) and to be punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
During the proceedings, the defendant pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.
Following his plea, prosecution counsel C. C. Okezie urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility and fix a date for the commencement of his trial.
The prosecutor maintained that the matter should proceed to trial to enable the commission to present evidence in support of its allegations.
After considering the proceedings, Justice Ijelu adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for the hearing of the defendant’s bail application and the commencement of trial.
The arraignment forms part of the EFCC’s ongoing efforts to prosecute suspected financial crimes, including alleged misappropriation, stealing and dishonest conversion of funds.
Under Nigerian criminal law, an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The defendant’s not-guilty plea means the prosecution must establish the allegations through admissible evidence during the trial.
The next hearing will provide an opportunity for the court to consider the bail application and determine the subsequent course of proceedings.
As of publication, no judgment had been delivered against Abiara in connection with the allegations.
