Court sets aside arrest warrant against AMCON ex-MD in alleged fraud suit 

Justice Mojisola Dada of a Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja has set aside a bench warrant issued against the former Managing Director of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru, in the alleged Arik Airline’s N76 billion and $31.5 million fraud.

The judge nullified the warrant in a criminal suit filed against him and others by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged scam.

The court had, on December 3, issued a bench warrant against the ex-MD due to his absence in court for arraignment.

Other defendants are the erstwhile Receiver Manager of Arik Airline Ltd., Kamilu Omokide; Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Captain Roy Ilegbodu; Union Bank Limited, and Super Bravo Limited.

The defendants were to be arraigned on allegations bordering on theft, abuse of office, making false statements to public officers and stealing by dishonestly taking the property of another, proffered against them by the anti-graft agency.

However, Justice Dada set aside the bench warrant against the second defendant, following his presence in court yesterday, and the motion on notice filed by his counsel, Olasupo Shasore (SAN).

Dada, in her bench ruling, the presiding judge adjourned the case till January 20 for arraignment.

“Given the attendance of the second defendant in court and the undertaking signed by the learned silk to ensure his attendance in court at any given time and no objection by the prosecution, the second defendant’s application of motion on notice is hereby granted, and the bench warrant set aside,” the judge ruled.

Earlier, Shasore, in his motion on notice dated December 12, had undertaken that he would produce his client, the second defendant for arraignment on January 20, 2025, and also made sure that he attended his trial.

The prosecution counsel, Dr Wahab Shittu (SAN), did not object to the application.