BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed November 3 this year for arraignment of a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Odoh Eric Ocheme and two others who allegedly obtained the sum of six million, two hundred and thirty thousand United States Dollars ($6,230,000.00) from the CBN with purported letters from the Presidency and Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).
Justice Inyang Ekwo shifted the arraignment on Thursday following the inability of the federal government to produce the three accused persons before him.
The three accused persons are Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Ocheme who allegedly obtained the money in cash from the apex bank on a purported mandate of the Presidency to settle foreign election observers.
Thought the arraignment was slated for this Thursday, however, counsel to the federal government, Mr Celestine Odoh informed the Judge that the three accused persons said to have run out of the country have not been arrested.
He expressed dilemma of government adding that though, the International Police, INTERPOL, had been involved in the effort to get the three accused persons apprehended, their efforts have not yielded positive results.
According to him, the accused persons have not surfaced in any area where Interpol could locate and arrest them.
The lawyer subsequently pleaded with the judge to grant a fairly long time to enable government intensify efforts to bring the defendants to the country for trial.
Justice Ekwo who recalled that a warrant of arrest had a year ago been issued against the accused persons granted the request of the lawyer and adjourned the matter till November 3 this year.
The federal government had requested the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to hunt and arrest three defendants in the alleged withdrawal of $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) last year through a forged document.
The office of the then Special Investigator of the CBN, Jim Obazee, made the request after obtaining an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The office, through a letter by its head of operations, Eloho Okpoziakpo, named the defendants as Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Ochene.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier charges against them at the Federal High Court in Abuja with stealing the said sum under the presence that it was requested by the preosidency to pay international election observers.
The anti-graft agency alleged that on 8 February 2023, the accused persons connived to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that the money was requested by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha “vide a letter dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/.”
Following their escape out of Nigeria, the office of the then Special Investigator of the CBN requested the international police agency to “watchlist” and place the three alleged fugitives on its “red notice” with a view to arrest and repatriate them.
The special investigator had earlier obtained a warrant of arrest for the three men from the Federal High Court through a motion ex-parte it filed on 18 January.
