Court Orders Arrest of Ex-gov Nnamani over N5.3b Fraud

Nnamani

Ladipo Sanusi/

A Federal High Court in Lagos today issued a bench warrant against a former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, and a former aide, Sunday Anyaogu.

Nnamani is being tried along with Anyaogu for alleged N5.3 billion fraud.

Justice Chuka Obiozor issued the bench warrant against the ex-governor and Anyaogu for failing to appear in court for their re-arraignment.

The judge rejected the plea by Nnamani’s lawyer, Mr. Abubakar Shamsudeen, that his client was on admission in a hospital in the United States, where he had a heart surgery.
The judge also declined the lawyer’s request for an adjournment till January next year.

Justice Obizor expressed displeasure that the case had lasted for 10 years and the judiciary has always been blamed for the delay in such cases.

The judge said: “This matter was slated for re-arraignment today and I have not found any justification for the absence of the accused before this court to take their pleas.

“There must be an end to litigation. The charge before me was filled in 2007 and it is now 10 years.

“Consequently, this case is adjourned until December 14 for further proceedings.”

When the case was called for hearing on Monday, the counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Kelvin Uzozie, had noted that the matter was scheduled for the re-arraignment of Nnamani and Anyaogu but they were absent.

He then applied that the judge should issue a bench warrant against them.

“I humbly apply that bench warrant be issued against the first and second defendants and their sureties,” Uzozie said.

But Nnamani’s counsel urged the judge to decline the application for bench warrant. He explained that he had been unable to reach Nnamani in the US or his family since last Thursday that the matter came up afresh in court.

“I was reliably informed that the defendant had a heart surgery last month and we wanted to get a medical report but unfortunately we could not,” he further stated.

He pleaded that the defendants’ absence in court was not deliberate, adding that they had regularly attended their trial before Justice Mohammed Yunusa, who was first judge to handle the case.

Editor