Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Wednesday issued a bench warrant of arrest against a Lagos businessman, Alhaji Isiaka Jimoh, following his inability to appear in court.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sometimes in the month of September 2019 arraigned Jimoh and his company, Chemtech Chemicals Limited, on two counts of obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of N155,000,000.
Count one of the charge read: “That you, Isiaka Jimoh and Chemtech Chemicals Limited between 4th -17th July, 2017 in Ilorin, Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of #155,000,000.00 ( one hundred and fifty five million naira) only from one Azeez Taiwo of Manabiz Ventures under the false pretence that the money represents part payment for supply of 1,000,000 litres of base oil which pretence you knew as false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (1) and punishable under section 1 of the Advance Fee fraud and other fraud offences act.”
When the matter was called on Wednesday, lead counsel to the defendant, Adeola Omotunde, said though cross examination of the first prosecution witness was scheduled, the first defendant was critically ill and had been flown abroad since December 20, 2019.
Omotunde urged the court to vacate the proceedings of the day and adjourn the matter for cross examination of the witness.
Prosecution counsel, Christopher Mschelia, however told Justice Oyinloye that the defendant violated the bail conditions granted unto him, part of which was that he must be available for trial. He therefore urged the court to revoke the bail and issue a bench warrant against him.
In his ruling, Justice Oyinloye said there was no proper notification from the defendant before the court, an inaction which violated section 191 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Law of Kwara State.
“The bail of the defendant is hereby revoked. The EFCC is also directed to arrest and produce the defendant in court while the sureties should appear in the next adjourned date to show cause why they should not be charged for contempt of court,” he ruled.
The case has been adjourned till February 5, 2020.