By Victoria Tokolo
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a Lagos businessman, Christopher Elendu Enyinnwa, over an alleged N30.14 million fraud involving the supply of slippers from China.
Enyinnwa was arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, Lagos, on a four-count charge bordering on fraudulent conversion and obtaining money under false pretences.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The EFCC alleged that Enyinnwa collected N30.14 million from a fellow church member, Chidebere Love Okafor, for the supply of slippers from China but failed to deliver the goods.
At the commencement of trial, prosecution counsel, Fanen Anum, told the court that the prosecution was ready to proceed, with two witnesses available.
However, defence counsel, K.C. Atuenyi, sought an adjournment, saying he had only prepared for the arraignment. The judge overruled the request and directed the prosecution to call its first witness.
Testifying as the first prosecution witness, Okafor, an employee of Gomac Industry Nigeria Limited, said she knew Enyinnwa through their church.
She told the court that the defendant informed her that he travelled to China for business and could help her purchase slippers.
According to her, she supplied a sample of the slippers and later agreed to the transaction despite initially finding Enyinnwa’s quotation expensive.
The witness said she transferred an initial N2 million to the defendant’s Access Bank account in August 2024. She later paid N11.923 million and another N15 million as production and balance payments.
She alleged that Enyinnwa subsequently failed to return to China, citing problems with his travel documents, and later requested an additional N2 million to resolve the issue.
Okafor said the defendant eventually travelled to China in February 2025 and later claimed to have shipped the goods, but they never arrived.
She added that church members and their pastor intervened after concerns were raised about the transaction, with Enyinnwa allegedly promising to refund the money.
“He promised to refund the money, but up till now, I have not seen the goods and the money,” she told the court.
The defence requested another date for cross-examination.
Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case to November 26, December 16 and 17, 2026, for continuation of trial and ordered that Enyinnwa be remanded in a correctional facility.
