The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered Andy Uba, a former senator, to appear on 28 October for a N400 million fraud case filed against him or face an order of arrest.
Judge Mohammed Umar gave the warning following an application by the prosecution lawyer, Aminu Abdullahi.
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Mr Uba has been absent from court since the case was initiated in 2024, but his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, has always attended proceedings.
The police filed the fraud charges against them in October 2024, following a petition by businessman George Uboh, accusing them of defrauding him of N400 million.
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The prosecution accused him of conspiring with Mr Etu and others to obtain the N400 million from Mr Uboh under the pretext of helping him to secure an appointment as managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Mr Uba, who wielded considerable influence during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, served as governor of Anambra State for only 16 days in 2007. His tenure abruptly ended when the Supreme Court nullified it.
Four years later, in April 2011, he won a senatorial election to represent the Anambra South Senatorial district for one term in the Nigerian Senate.
On Wednesday, the prosecutor, Mr Abdullahi, urged the court to issue a warrant for the arrest of Mr Uba, citing his repeated absence from court. He urged the court to invoke its power under Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
But Mr Uba’s lawyer, C.F. Odiniru, opposed the application. He pleaded for more time for his client, who he said was undergoing medical treatment in a United States hospital, to appear.
Reacting, Mr Abdullahi said the defence had given the same excuse during the July sitting. He described Mr Uba’s absence since the charges were filed in 2024 as disrespectful to the court and a deliberate attempt to stall the trial. “We will be applying for a bench warrant under Section 394 of ACJA, 2015, against the first defendant,” he said.
The defence lawyer urged the court to disregard the application. He said he had shown the prosecution lawyer documents proving Mr Uba’s state of ill health just before proceedings started. He said the prosecution could verify the documents.
Unimpressed with the defence’s submission, the judge asked rhetorically: “So what you are saying is that we are going to remain this way even if it will take 10 years?”
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He then warned the defendant to appear in court on 28 October or risk arrest.
Mr Uba’s lawyer first raised the issue of his client’s overseas medical trip during the previous 7 July proceedings attended by the co-defendant, Mr Etu.
The prosecution expressed displeasure about the former senator’s absence from court. The judge adjourned the matter until 24 September (today), hoping that Mr Uba would be present.
Earlier in May, the Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B. Abubakar, wrote to the police confirming sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Uba and others, while formally clearing his wife, Crystal Uba, of any wrongdoing.
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