Keystone Bank In Trouble As Court Orders Forfeiture Of N20bn Shares To FG

Alleged N20b Fraud: Court Convicts Ahmed Kuru’s Co-defendant

Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited, a co-defendant in the trial of Ahmed Kuru, former Managing Director, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, (AMCON) was on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 convicted and sentenced for fraud by Justice R.A. Oshodi of Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

Kuru, the first defendant is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside

Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited on amended six-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, stealing, dishonesty and criminal conversion to the tune of N20 billion.

At today’s proceeding, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN informed the court that the reason for the amendment of the charge had to do with Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited, represented by Umaru Hamidu Modibbo.

Count one reads: “Ahmed Kuru, Umaru Hamidu Modibbo, Ifie Sekibo (at large) and Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited sometime in 2016 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony, to with: stealing by dishonestly converting the total sum of Twenty Billion Naira (N20,000,000,000) property of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria through Heritage Bank Limited to the use of Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited for the acquisition of Keystone Bank Limited.”

Count three reads: “Ahmed Kuru, Umaru Hamidu Modibbo, Ifie Sekibo (at large) and Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited on the 17th of November, 2016 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court transferred the aggregate sum of Ten Billion Naira (N10,000,000,000) derived directly from an illegal act to wit: stealing with the aim of concealing the illegal origin of the said sum and to evade the legal consequences of your action.”

Kuru, pleaded “not guilty” when the charges were read to him, while Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited pleaded “guilty.”

Following Sigma Golf Nigeria Limited’s plea, Justice Oshodi declared the company “guilty” as charged and ordered that its liquidation and for all its rights, title and interest in the N6,250,000,000 (Six Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million units of the Keystone Bank Limited’s ordinary shares of N1.00 each be forfeited to federal government.

Applying the same sentence on Modibbo, being its alter-ego, the court ordered that “all the rights, title and interest in unit of the Keystone Bank Limited’s ordinary shares allotted to Alhaji Umaru Hamidu Modibbo who represented the company shall be forfeited to the federal government of Nigeria.”

Thereafter, Kuru’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore, SAN, moved a motion for his bail and prayed the court to grant him bail on self-recognition and on liberal terms. While the prosecution did not oppose the bail application, it prayed for tough bail conditions that could make the defendant take court attendance seriously.

“We shall be praying for stringent conditions because we are particular about the attendance in court,” Oyedepo said.

Justice Oshodi granted bail to Kuru in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum who must be gainfully employed and depose to means of identification.

He adjourned till March 7, and April 16, 17, 2025 for commencement of trial.