Police ask court to issue arrest warrant against Andy Uba over alleged N400m job scam

Police ask court to issue arrest warrant against Andy Uba over alleged N400m job scam

 The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun has
formally asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to issue a bench warrant
for the arrest of ex-senator Andy Uba over a N400 million job scam.

 

The police intend to arrest Uba and bring him to court for
trial.

 

The IGP sought the arrest order on Wednesday following the
persistent absence of Uba, who once represented Anambra South in the Senate, to
appear in court for arraignment over the alleged appointment fraud.

 

The trial judge, Justice Mohammed Umar had, in July, slated
Wednesday for the arraignment of Uba and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu.

 

When the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024 was called on
Wednesday, counsel to the defendants, C.L Odiniru apologized for Uba’s absence
and said the former senator is sick and receiving treatment in the United
States.

 

Counsel to the prosecution (IGP), Aminu Abdullahi, however
told the court that the defense counsel had, during previous proceedings in the
matter, given sickness as reason for the absence of the first defendant without
adducing any documentary evidence to show that he is actually sick and cannot
face his trial.

 

Abdullahi prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for the
arrest of the former senator.

 

Defense counsel, Odiniru, opposed the application for a
bench warrant and following a directive of the court, said the defense has
obtained documents showing that Uba is receiving treatment abroad.

 

But responding, Abdullahi said granting the application for
bench warrant will be in the best interest of justice.

 

Justice Umar who was apparently angry over the repeated
absence of Andy Uba, said the court will do whatever it takes to ensure that he
is present to face his trial if he failed 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,” the judge 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,
2025, 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, 2025, by Sidi, Uba
and Etu are listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, while Crystal Uba’s name was
dropped.

 

In count one, it was alleged that Uba, Etu and Hajiya
Fatima, now at large, sometimes in 2022, conspired amongst themselves to commit
the offence.

 

Uba and others were accused of obtaining by false pretence,
by making a presentation to Mr George Uboh that they had perfected ways for
giving appointment as Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission,
NDDC, to any interested person who could afford N400 million.

 

“A presentation which you know is not true and thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 8 and punishable under Section 1 (3)
of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006,” the
charge stated.

 

The offence, the prosecution said, is contrary to Section 1
(2) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud
Related offences Act, 2006.

 

Uboh, in a letter dated April 5, 2023, and addressed to the
IGP, said the petition was based on documentary evidence and voice recording,
adding that the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable.

 

No fewer than six witnesses had been listed to testify
against the ex-lawmaker and Etu.

 

The case was re-assigned to Justice Umar, following the
suspension of the former judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, by the National Judicial
Council, NJC.

Source: Police ask court to issue arrest warrant against Andy Uba over alleged N400m job scam

 - NigerianEye

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