Senator Andy Uba
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has officially withdrawn the ₦400 million fraud case filed against former lawmaker, Senator Andy Uba, and his associate, Benjamin Etu, following the repayment of the disputed amount to the complainant, Dr. George Uboh.
At Thursday’s proceedings before Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, the IGP’s counsel, Aminu Abdullahi, informed the court that the matter had been amicably resolved between both parties.
When the case was called for the defendants’ arraignment, Abdullahi revealed that a notice of discontinuance had been filed in accordance with Section 108(5) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
> “We filed and served a notice of discontinuance this morning,” Abdullahi told the court, adding that the defendants had refunded the full ₦400 million to Dr. Uboh as part of the settlement.
He further explained that all disputes, claims, and liabilities connected to the transaction had been settled.
Defence counsel, C.F. Odiniru, did not oppose the prosecution’s decision to withdraw the matter but filed an affidavit of facts notifying the court of the terms under which the resolution was reached.
Justice Umar noted that the case had been “overtaken by events.” However, Odiniru urged the court to dismiss the charge entirely rather than simply striking it out, citing Section 108(3) of the ACJA, 2015.
In the affidavit filed on November 5, Etu stated that Dr. Uboh had received and acknowledged the total refund of ₦400 million. The affidavit, which included a signed settlement agreement marked as Exhibit A, was filed with Etu acting on behalf of both defendants, with the consent of Senator Uba.
After reviewing the submissions, Justice Umar granted the prosecution’s request for discontinuance, struck out the charge, and discharged both Uba and Etu.
This decision marked the end of a case that had previously seen the court threaten to issue a bench warrant against Uba over his repeated absence. On September 24, the judge had warned that failure to appear would result in an arrest order.
At the time, Abdullahi accused Uba of showing disregard for the court, noting that he had not appeared since the charge was first filed in 2024. Odiniru, however, attributed his client’s absence to health issues and pleaded for additional time.
Earlier, on July 7, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had granted the IGP permission to prosecute the case.
The police had initially filed a two-count amended charge on March 5, 2024, replacing an earlier charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024. In the revised filing, Uba and Etu were listed as the first and second defendants, while the name of one Crystal Uba was dropped.
According to the charge, Uba, Etu, and one Hajiya Fatima—who remains at large—were accused of conspiring in 2022 to defraud Dr. Uboh of ₦400 million under the guise of securing an appointment as Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
> “A presentation which you know is not true,” the charge stated, “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.”
Dr. Uboh’s petition to the IGP, dated April 5, 2023, reportedly included both documentary evidence and voice recordings.
The prosecution had planned to call six witnesses before the settlement was reached.
With the full refund confirmed and the matter officially withdrawn, both Senator Uba and Etu now walk free—bringing a quiet close to a case that once stirred political and public attention.
(NAN)
