The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Wednesday arraigned three senior officials of the Nigerian Railway Corporation over alleged fraud, corruption and money laundering amounting to more than N2.04bn.
The officials were brought before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja and charged before different judges of the Special Offences Court. The cases were filed separately, but all relate to alleged abuse of office and unlawful enrichment while the defendants held key positions in the railway corporation.
Those arraigned are Felix Njoku, a former Director of Finance of the NRC; Benjamin Chinwuba Iloanusi, a serving Director in the Procurement Department; and Oche Jerry Ogbole-Inalegwu, Director of Mechanical.
Felix Njoku was arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe on a 17-count charge involving an alleged fraud of N736,320,807.08.
According to the EFCC, Njoku, trading under the name FC Njoku and Company, received N240,940,000 from contractors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation after leaving office as Director of Finance. The commission told the court that the money was paid into a Zenith Bank Plc account linked to him between January 2 and December 3, 2024.
The prosecution alleged that the payments were connected to contracts awarded to the contractors during his time in office. The charge stated that the funds were received “on account of the contracts awarded to the contractors during the discharge of your official duties.”
Following his plea, the prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammad (SAN), asked the court to fix a trial date and to remand the defendant in custody pending the hearing of his bail application. He also informed the court that the prosecution would respond to some issues raised in the bail application on points of law.
However, Njoku’s lawyer, Mordecai Adejo, told the court that a bail application had already been filed. He urged the court to allow his client to continue enjoying the administrative bail earlier granted to him by the EFCC.
Justice Abike-Fadipe granted Njoku temporary release on health grounds. The judge ordered him to deposit his international passport with the court and directed him to report to the EFCC Lagos Directorate 1 office every Monday and Friday.
The matter was adjourned to March 10, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application. The court also fixed May 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
In a separate case, Benjamin Chinwuba Iloanusi was arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu on a 10-count charge involving an alleged N915,265,472.60 fraud.
The EFCC told the court that Iloanusi, while serving as Director of Procurement between January 4 and December 30, 2022, received N160,930,458.04 from contractors of the Nigerian Railway Corporation. The money was allegedly paid into bank accounts domiciled in Polaris Bank Plc.
According to the prosecution, the payments were linked to contracts awarded in the course of his official duties as procurement director.
Justice Ijelu ordered that he be remanded in a correctional centre. The judge adjourned the case till March 3, 2026, for the hearing of his bail application and for the commencement of trial.
The third defendant, Oche Jerry Ogbole-Inalegwu, was arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on a nine-count charge involving an alleged N395,190,600 fraud.
The EFCC alleged that while serving as Railway District Manager between February 12 and October 29, 2019, Ogbole-Inalegwu operated under the name Altech Engineering Services and received N11,397,500 from China Civil Engineering Construction Company, a contractor handling projects for the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
The money was said to have been paid through an Access Bank Plc account and allegedly related to contracts awarded during his official duties.
Like the other defendants, Ogbole-Inalegwu pleaded not guilty.
Justice Dada allowed him to continue enjoying the administrative bail earlier granted by the EFCC and adjourned the matter till April 23, 2026, for hearing.
The EFCC said the alleged offences contravene Sections 332(1) and 332(3), Section 73(1), and Section 82(c) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. These sections deal with offences such as stealing, abuse of office and corruption by public officials.
Under Nigerian law, public officers are not allowed to receive any form of benefit from contracts awarded in the course of their official duties. Any payment linked to such contracts may amount to abuse of office or unlawful enrichment if proven in court.
All three defendants are expected to face full trials in the coming months. The courts will determine whether the EFCC can prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt.
The Nigerian Railway Corporation is a federal government agency responsible for railway transport across the country. In recent years, the railway sector has received large government funding and foreign loans for the rehabilitation and expansion of rail lines, including projects connecting major cities such as Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja and Kaduna.
With the increase in funding has come greater public attention on how contracts are awarded and managed. The procurement and finance departments of government agencies play key roles in handling payments, contract approvals and oversight of funds.
The EFCC, established in 2003, is Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency. It investigates and prosecutes cases involving financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and abuse of office. Over the years, the commission has taken several high-profile public officials to court as part of efforts to reduce corruption in government institutions.
The arraignment of the three senior NRC officials is seen as part of the EFCC’s ongoing crackdown on alleged corruption in public agencies. Legal experts say the cases will test the strength of internal controls in government corporations and may send a strong message to other public officials.
For now, the defendants remain innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty. The trials, scheduled to begin later in 2026, are expected to attract public attention, especially given the large sums involved and the importance of the railway sector to Nigeria’s economic growth.
