Justice Mojisola Dada of a Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has ordered the arrest of the former Managing Director of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Lawal Kuru, for his absence in court for his arraignment over alleged N76 billion fraud.
The court had scheduled Tuesday for Kuru’s arraignment along with the Managing Director of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, the receiver manager of Arik, Kamilu Omokide, Union Bank Plc, and a company, Super Bravo Limited, for alleged N76 billion and $31.5 million fraud.
The defendants in the suit are Kamilu Alaba Omokide, Ahmed Lawal Kuru, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, and Super Bravo Limited, as the first to fifth defendants, respectively.
At the resumed proceeding, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu (SAN), and the defendants’ counsel, Prof. Taiwo Osipitan (SAN) for the first and third defendants, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) for the fourth defendant, Tayo Oyetibo (SAN) for the fifth defendant, and I.B. Amefula, who appeared for the second defendant in place of Olasupo Sashore (SAN), were present.
Due to the absence of the second defendant (Kuru), Shittu prayed the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the second defendant.
Shittu submitted that the prosecution would not be able to proceed with the arraignment of the defendants due to the second defendant’s absence.
He said, “The former MD of AMCON has jumped administrative bail granted by EFCC on several occasions.
“In view of the attitude of the second defendant, we urge the court to issue a bench warrant.
“My lord, all the defendants in this case were served, but when they got to the residence of the second defendant, the man had disappeared. He had blocked his contact.
“Someone who is the former MD of AMCON is not supposed to behave that way.”
Justice Dada, however, granted the prosecution counsel’s prayer and issued a warrant of arrest against the second defendant (Kuru). The judge said that if he presented himself on the next adjourned date, the order would be revoked.
The EFCC had filed six charges against the defendants, alleging they stole property belonging to Arik Air and abused their office.
Part of the charge stated that Union Bank made a false statement to a public officer with the intention of causing and/or inducing the unwarranted sale of Arik Air loans and bank guarantees with Union Bank, making false statements to the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) regarding Arik Air Limited’s performing loans, following which it transferred a bogus figure of N71 billion to AMCON.
The anti-graft commission said their offense was contrary to and punishable under Section 96 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
The EFCC also alleged that the defendants—Kuru, Omokide, as Receiver Manager of Arik Air Limited, and Captain Ilegbodu, Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air Limited in receivership—stole and fraudulently converted to the use of NG Eagle Limited the total sum of N4,900,000 sometime in 2022.
The MD/CEO of Arik Air Limited in receivership, in May 2024, or thereabouts, did steal the sum of N22,500,000 by fraudulently converting the same to the use of Magashi Ali Mohammed, property of Arik Air Limited.
Kuru and Omokide were alleged to have been public officers on July 11, 2019, or thereabouts, in Lagos, within the directed to be done in abuse of the authority of their offices an arbitrary act, to wit: intentionally and in violation of the discharge of their functions incorporated a company called NG Eagle Limited, RC Number 1600277, for the purpose of obtaining undue advantage for themselves and/or cronies.
Parts of the charge read that “Kamilu Alaba Omokide, Ahmed Lawal Kuru, and Captain Roy Ilegbodu, on February 12, 2022, or thereabouts, in Lagos, being public officers directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office and with the intention of obtaining undue advantage for yourself and cronies, an arbitrary act, to wit: intentionally authorizing the teardown and destruction of 5N-JEA with Serial No. 15058 valued at $31.5 million, an arbitrary act, which act is prejudicial to the economic stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Arik Air Limited.”