The Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Lagos Zonal Directorate 1, has arraigned Ali Bala and Yusuf Umar Anka before Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Division, over an alleged £110,000 and ₦500 million fraud.
The commission, in a statement on Friday, said the defendants were undergoing trial for a 10-count charge bordering on money laundering, stealing and retention of stolen property.
“That you, Ali Bala (a.k.a. Barrister Ahmed) and Yusuf Umar Anka, sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conducted financial transactions involving proceeds of your unlawful activities to disguise the source of the stolen £110,000.00 (one hundred and ten thousand pounds sterling), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(1)(b)(i) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006,” one of the counts read.
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It explained that in view of their pleas, prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility.
The EFCC noted that the defence counsel, however, informed the court of a pending bail application, adding that the case was adjourned until September 8.
“In his ruling, Justice Ogunjobi adjourned the matter until September 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application, and ordered that the defendants be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing,” the anti-graft agency added.