Court Issues Arrest warrants For three executives In N2.3bn Corruption Case

Court Issues Arrest warrants For three executives In N2.3bn Corruption Case....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued arrest warrants for three officials of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification Agency over allegations of financial misconduct amounting to N1.8 billion.

The officials—Emmanuel Titus, Umar Karaye, and Henrietta Okojie—failed to appear in court as scheduled for their arraignment, prompting the court to issue the warrants. They are facing charges filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which accuse them of embezzling public funds designated for rural electrification projects nationwide.

During Thursday’s proceedings, ICPC’s Assistant Chief Legal Officer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, informed the court that despite being duly served with charges and notified of the court session, the defendants chose not to attend.

As a result, Akponimisingha requested the court to issue bench warrants for their arrests, citing legal provisions under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Justice Omotosho granted the request, emphasizing that the defendants deliberately absented themselves from court proceedings.

The court further directed the ICPC to apprehend and present all three defendants before the next scheduled hearing dates: June 13 for Titus and Karaye, and June 14 for Okojie.

Meanwhile, another accused, Usman Kwakwa, was present in court and arraigned separately on charges related to a N1.853 billion fraud. Kwakwa pleaded not guilty to all charges and was granted bail in the sum of N50 million.

Among the allegations, Titus is accused of fraudulently obtaining N261 million from the REA, purportedly for project supervision, while Karaye and Okojie are separately charged with misappropriating N165 million and N342 million, respectively, under similar pretenses through government financial systems.

The prosecution has presented evidence showing that these funds were disbursed without proper authorization, constituting violations of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.

The case highlights ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to combat corruption within government agencies responsible for public funds management.