Nollywood’s movie director Ifeanyi Onyeabor, Managing Director of Igo Motion Pictures International, is finally free from the N8.8million fraud case that took him to Kirikiri Maximum Prison. Onyeabor collected the said amount from a would-be executive producer, Steve-James Nigeria Limited and failed to produce the films. According to the information gathered by Julia Blaise Blog (JBB), Mr Onyeabor will be in celebration mood now, as court has struck out the case for lack of sustainable evidence from the accused. The director was granted bail after spending many months in prison. However, the case continued till recently when it was struck out by the court.
 
Recall that Mr Onyeabor was ordered in 2011 to be remanded in Kirikiri Maximum Prisons by the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged N8.8 million fraud. Justice Habeeb Abiru gave the order after Onyeabor was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a seven-count charge bordering on stealing and fraudulent conversion of money.

The producer was alleged to have collected a total sum of N8.8 million from Steve-James Nigeria Limited in December 2008, for the purpose of producing two movies entitled; “Young Amazon” and “Tribes.”

In the charge sheet, the EFCC alleged that Onyeabor, with intent to defraud, stole and fraudulently converted N1, 850,000 property of Steve-James Nigeria Limited entrusted to him for the production of the movies.

Other charges also explained how the accused, on different occasions, allegedly received N1, 200,000, N950, 000, N3, 000,000, 1,200,000, N500, 000 and N100, 000 from the complainants for the said production.

EFCC prosecutor, Mr Anselem Ozioko, alleged that Onyeabor, who is the, after collecting the money, failed to produce the movies and diverted the money for other personal uses.