Alleged N785m fraud: Court orders arrest of Imo deputy speaker

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Friday, issued a warrant of arrest for the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyanwu over his alleged involvement in a N785 million fraud.

The court directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Services and the Interpol to arrest the lawmaker on sight, “anywhere he is sighted in Nigeria or outside Nigeria and produce him before this honourable court or to the EFCC headquarters, Abuja”.

The EFCC told the court in the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2124/2024, that it got intelligence that the lawmaker had since escaped from the country and was hiding in the United States of America.

The agency maintained that the Respondent refused to make himself available to respond to a petition that was lodged against him and his company, Sun Gold Estate Limited.

A firm, Hakiz Investment Company Limited, had in the petition that was signed by its lawyer, Mr. A. A Malik, SAN, and addressed to its Chairman alleged that sometime in 2012, it entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Iwuanyanwu’s company.

The agreement was for it to develop an estate comprising 14 units of 4 bedroom terrace and one block of six flats on the petitioner’s land situated at Mabuchi Abuja, according to the EFCC.

It told the court that the agreement was that upon the completion of the estate by the Respondent, the complainant, who is the owner of the land, would take 40% of the property, while the Respondent, being the developer, would take 60% of the property.

However, the anti-graft agency alleged that its investigations revealed that “upon completion of the estate, the Respondent sold all the buildings and criminally diverted the funds without the knowledge of the Complainant”.

“That the market value of 40% of the buildings is about N785 million.

“That investigation is still ongoing and all invitations extended to both Iwuanyanwu and his company proved abortive.

“That a lawyer to the Respondent had on one of the occasions, received a copy of the invitation on his behalf and made promises that he would be available for questioning.

“That there is an intelligence report that the Respondent is in the USA.

“That without the suspect being apprehended or voluntarily coming to state their side of the story, the investigation will be incomplete.

“That in the light of the calculated effort by the suspect to remain evasive, there is a need to place the suspect on watch list of the Commission, the police and any other law enforcement,” EFCC averred in an affidavit that was deposed to by one of its officials, Ufuoma Ezire.

EFCC maintained that it would be in the interest of justice for the court to issue an arrest warrant against the Respondent.

It predicated the application for an arrest warrant to be issued against the Respondent on section 35(1) (c) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, sections 3, 37 and 39(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, as well as sections 6, 7, 13 and 41 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004.

The Commission told the court that it had since written of its investigative activities to the Corporate Affairs Commission, banks, and other relevant agencies.

Meanwhile, in his ruling, Justice Ekwo held that there was merit in the ex-parte application and accordingly granted it.

Specifically, the court made an order “issuing a warrant of arrest against Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyanwu.”

The court also authorized and directed the “EFCC, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, the Nigerian Immigration Services and Interpol to arrest on sight Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyawu anywhere sighted in Nigeria or outside Nigeria and produce her before this Honorable court or to the EFCC headquarters, Abuja”.

Similarly, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, in 2021 issued a warrant of arrest on Iwuanyanwu over his alleged involvement in N75 million fraud.

In his ruling, Justice Charles Agbaza directed the Commander of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) headquarters, Abuja to execute the arrest warrant.

Justice Agbaza issued the warrant following Iwuanyanwu’s failure to appear in court to answer the four counts filed against him by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).