Court gavel
Federal High Court in Abuja has again postponed the arraignment of former Anambra South Senator, Andy Uba, and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, over an alleged ₦400 million fraud. The case will now come up on November 6, following the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who was reportedly sitting in another division on Tuesday.
The hearing had been slated for Uba and Etu to enter their pleas, but proceedings could not go on without the trial judge.
At the last sitting on September 24, Justice Umar had warned that he would issue a bench warrant for Uba’s arrest if the former lawmaker failed to appear in court on October 28 to face trial.
The warning followed an application by the Inspector-General of Police’s counsel, Aminu Abdullahi, who urged the court to invoke Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, due to Uba’s repeated failure to attend court sessions.
According to Abdullahi, Uba’s continued absence “has shown disrespect to the court and has consistently stalled his trial.” He further stated that since the charge was filed in 2024, the ex-senator had not appeared even once.
Uba’s counsel, C. F. Odiniru, pleaded for leniency, attributing his client’s absence to ill health — the same reason earlier presented in July when the matter last came up.
Responding, Justice Umar said, “I will give you the last opportunity,” as he fixed the new date for arraignment.
Earlier, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had, on July 7, granted approval for the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute Uba and Etu over the alleged fraud.
The case, originally filed as FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024, had named Uba and two others as defendants. However, an amended two-count charge filed on March 4 by Abdulrashid Sidi of the Legal/Prosecution Section, Police Headquarters, Abuja, now lists only Uba and Etu as defendants.
The prosecution alleges that in 2022, Uba, Etu, and one Hajiya Fatima (now at large) conspired to defraud businessman George Uboh of ₦400 million under the false pretense that they could secure the appointment of a Managing Director for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to the charge, “A presentation which you know is not true, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
Uboh had petitioned the Inspector-General of Police in a letter dated April 5, 2023, alleging fraud supported by “documentary and voice recordings.”
The prosecution plans to call six witnesses to testify against Uba and his co-defendant when the trial resumes.
(NAN)
