The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, October 2, 2025, presented Ene Queen Bamaiyi before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, to answer to a severe charge of criminal breach of trust.
The defendant stands accused of dishonestly converting a staggering sum of N124 million to her personal use, a portion of a larger N240.5 million entrusted to her by an individual named Bright Okubo specifically for the purpose of foreign exchange conversion, revealing a significant alleged betrayal of fiduciary responsibility.
According to the single but weighty charge read in the courtroom of Justice A.A. Halilu, the alleged crime was committed in May 2024. The prosecution outlined that Bamaiyi, while entrusted with the massive sum of N240,500,000, deliberately diverted N124,000,000, violating the specific condition set by Mr. Okubo.
The charge explicitly states that her actions were “in violation of the purpose for which the money was entrusted,” framing the case as a clear-cut instance of financial misconduct contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code, which carries a punishment defined under Section 312 of the same legal framework.
Upon the reading of the charge, Ene Queen Bamaiyi entered a plea of “not guilty,” setting the stage for a full trial. The prosecution counsel, Joshua Saidi, immediately requested a trial date, informing the court of his plan to call upon five witnesses to substantiate the case against the defendant.
In response, the defence counsel, M.A. Attah, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), appealed to the court for bail for his client. He argued for liberal terms, emphasising Bamaiyi’s status as a single mother with a two-year-old child and requesting that she be granted bail on self-recognition.
Justice Halilu, after considering arguments from both sides, granted the defendant bail, but under stringent conditions. The bail was set at N30 million, requiring Bamaiyi to provide two reliable sureties who must be civil servants not below Grade Level 14.
In a decisive move to ensure her presence throughout the trial, the judge also ordered her to surrender her passport to the EFCC.
Until she meets these bail conditions, she was ordered to be remanded in the Suleja Correctional Centre. The judge subsequently adjourned the case, scheduling the trial to commence on December 2 and 3, 2025, marking the next chapter in this high-stakes financial drama.
