Court adjourns arraignment of Lagos businessman for alleged N2.9b fraud

A Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed January 29, 2020, for the arraignment of Lagos-based businessman, Kenneth Amadi, and his company, Idid Nigeria Limited.

The court presided over by Justice Mohammed Liman fixed the date considering the court’s vacation.

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) had filed a five-count charge against Amadi and his company for allegedly obtaining N2.9 billion from a petroleum company by false pretence.

The offences are contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offences Act, Cap A6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and punishable under Section 1(3), as well as Section 435 of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The arraignment was earlier fixed for November 28, 2019, but following the absence of the defendants, the court adjourned till January 8, 2020.

The chief state counsel from the Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Aminu Alilu, had told the court that it had been difficult to serve the defendants a copy of the charge.

However, the counsel to the defendants, Emeka Etiaba, told the court that he and his clients were not opposing arraignment and trial and that he had spoken to the prosecutor to avail him a copy of the charge on behalf of the defendants.

The prosecutor, therefore, served Etiaba a copy of the charge, and Justice Liman adjourned the case.