JUSTICE Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday fixed 27 February 2025, for the arraignment of Gbolahan Obanikoro, the son of former of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, and four others over alleged One Billion, Three Hundred and Sixty-Six Million, Fifty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty Naira, Forty-Three Kobo (N1,356,057,330.43) fraud.
To be arraigned alongside Obanikoro are Adejare Adegbenro, 51; Balmoral International Limited; M.O.B. Integrated Limited; and DDSS International Company Limited.
The police charged them with five counts, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretences, false representation, and fraud.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa set the date on Friday following the failure of the defendants to appear for their scheduled arraignment.
When the case was called, the prosecution counsel, Momoh Bello, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the arraignment of the defendants.
However, following the obvious absence of the defendants, Bello then prayed the court for a bench warrant against them, pointing out that they had all been served.
But counsel for the fourth defendant ( M.O.B. Integrated Limited), Joshua Abel, opposed the application.
He told the court that the fourth defendant is a company and that the fourth defendant received service late on Wednesday and he was informed of the case late on Thursday.
Abel also informed the court that most of the defendants, who are directors of the firm, were not in the country.
“I have not had the opportunity to go through the case before the directors can be arraigned,” he said.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa then asked the prosecutor for the proof of service and date of service.
According to the court, “I want proof of service and the date of service. The record of this court shows that service was effected on the third and fourth defendants. It’s less than 48 hours that they have been served; one of them was served yesterday. The first and second defendants are natural persons and there is no proof of service on them.
“The law says personal service. You can go and regularise service on the defendants. There is no proof that the first and second defendants have been served. However, there is proof that the third and fourth defendants have been served. The prosecution is directed to serve the first and second defendants”, the judge ruled and then adjourned till 27 February 2025, for the arraignment of all the defendants.
The Inspector General of Police, through the Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, accused the defendants and others at large of conspiring amongst themselves between May and September 2013 to fraudulently obtain the sum of N1,356,057,330.43 from Access Bank Plc (formerly Diamond Bank).
They were accused of allegedly misrepresenting themselves to the bank’s staff and officers, claiming they were involved in the business of importing cars from Dubai for sale in Nigeria, and that the money was needed to finance the importation of a set of brand-new cars for resale.
The defendants are also being accused of converting, transferring, retaining, or taking possession of the funds, knowing or having reason to know that such funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
The police further alleged that they unlawfully converted the sum of N1bn belonging to the bank for personal use.
According to the police, the offences committed contravened Section 8(i)(a) and were punishable under Section 1(3), 1(i)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offenses Act, No. 14 of 2006, and Section 18(2)(b) and (d) and 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Eighteen-Eleven Media