Following the absence of a former Senator, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Andy Uba, for arraignment over alleged N400m appointment fraud, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday, asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to issue a bench warrant for his arrest and bring him to court for trial.
The trial Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, had, in July, slated Wednesday for the arraignment of the former Senator Andy Uba and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, over an alleged N400 million appointment fraud.
When the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024 was called, counsel to the defendants, C.L Odiniru, apologised for Andy Uba’s absence and said the former Senator is sick and receiving treatment in the United States of America (USA).
Counsel to the prosecution ( IGP), Aminu Abdullahi, however, told the court that the defence counsel had, in the previous proceedings in the matter, given sickness as a reason for the absence of the first defendant without adducing any documentary evidence to show that the first defendant is actually sick and cannot face his trial.
Abdullahi prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the former Senator.
The defence counsel, Odiniru, while opposing the application for a bench warrant of arrest on his client, said that the court has been informed of his illness and that he is in the USA for treatment.
Following a directive of the court, Odiniru said, the defence has obtained documents showing that the first defendant is receiving treatment abroad, saying that the former Senator is sick and cannot stand his trial at the moment.
Responding, Abdullahi said granting the application for a bench warrant of arrest on the first defendant will be in the best interest of Justice.
Justice Umar, who was apparently angered by the repeated absence of Andy Uba to take his plea, said that the court will do whatever it takes to ensure that he is present in court to face his trial if he fails to come to court on the next adjourned date.
“I will give you another opportunity by giving you another date. This case must be heard this year. Even if it means issuing a bench warrant of arrest, the court will do that”, he said and adjourned the matter till October 28, 2025, for Uba and his co-defendant to take their plea.
It would be recalled that the prosecution had, on March 5, amended a two-count charge filed against Uba and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, before the former trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo.
Following the absence of a former Senator, representing Anambra South Senatorial District, Senator Andy Uba, for arraignment over alleged N400m appointment fraud, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday, asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to issue a bench warrant for his arrest and bring him to court for trial.
The trial Judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, had, in July, slated Wednesday for the arraignment of the former Senator Andy Uba and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, over an alleged N400 million appointment fraud.
When the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024 was called, counsel to the defendants, C.L Odiniru, apologised for Andy Uba’s absence and said the former Senator is sick and receiving treatment in the United States of America (USA).
Counsel to the prosecution ( IGP), Aminu Abdullahi, however, told the court that the defence counsel had, in the previous proceedings in the matter, given sickness as a reason for the absence of the first defendant without adducing any documentary evidence to show that the first defendant is actually sick and cannot face his trial.
Abdullahi prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the former Senator.
The defence counsel, Odiniru, while opposing the application for a bench warrant of arrest on his client, said that the court has been informed of his illness and that he is in the USA for treatment.
Following a directive of the court, Odiniru said, the defence has obtained documents showing that the first defendant is receiving treatment abroad, saying that the former Senator is sick and cannot stand his trial at the moment.
Responding, Abdullahi said granting the application for a bench warrant of arrest on the first defendant will be in the best interest of Justice.
Justice Umar, who was apparently angered by the repeated absence of Andy Uba to take his plea, said that the court will do whatever it takes to ensure that he is present in court to face his trial if he fails to come to court on the next adjourned date.
“I will give you another opportunity by giving you another date. This case must be heard this year. Even if it means issuing a bench warrant of arrest, the court will do that”, he said and adjourned the matter till October 28, 2025, for Uba and his co-defendant to take their plea.
It would be recalled that the prosecution had, on March 5, amended a two-count charge filed against Uba and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, before the former trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo.
The police had earlier named Uba and two others in the first charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024.
The co-defendants, in the two-count charge filed on October 10, 2024 by Abdulrashid Sidi in the Legal/Prosecution Section at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, were Crystal Uba and Benjamin Etu as 2nd and 3rd defendants, respectively.
But in the amended charge filed March 4 by Sidi, Uba and Etu are listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, while Crystal Uba’s name had been dropped from the charge.
In count one, Uba, Etu and Hajiya Fatima now at large, sometimes in 2022, were alleged to have conspired amongst themselves to commit the offence.
