The family of former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Oba Otudeko, has refuted claims that the businessman fled Nigeria amidst allegations of fraud.
They clarified that the octogenarian left the country for a routine medical trip.
Speaking to TheCable, a family source stated, “As an elderly citizen, Dr. Oba Otudeko prioritises his health above all. He is routinely out of the country to access health care and attend to other personal matters. This is not a recent development as Oba Otudeko has divided his time between his abodes in Nigeria and the UK for the last four decades.”
Naija News reports that the clarification comes after earlier reports suggested that Otudeko left Nigeria through the Benin Republic border.
The family, however, dismissed these claims, noting that he did not leave via land borders but declined to specify the airport used for his departure.
“This trip is in line with his usual travel plans and was not a surprise,” the family said, urging the public to respect his privacy.
Otudeko’s travel coincides with pending fraud charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft agency has accused him and three others of obtaining a ₦30 billion loan under false pretences.
The defendants include Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, a former Group Managing Director of First Bank; Soji Akintayo, a former board member of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc; and Anchorage Limited, a company linked to Otudeko.
According to the EFCC’s charge sheet, the loans—totalling ₦30 billion—were obtained between 2013 and 2014 under the guise of funding certain firms.