By Abiola Olawale
Ahme Kuru, a former Managing Director of the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), failed to appear in court on Tuesday as scheduled.
He was set to face arraignment on a six-count indictment that accused him of allegedly stealing multibillion naira property and assets belonging to Arik Air and misusing his position for personal gain.
The New Diplomat gathered Kuru, alongside current MD of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, the receiver manager of Arik, Kamilu Omokide, the Union Bank plc and a company named Super Bravo Limited, were to be arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but Kuru’s absence stalled the arraignment on Tuesday.
The petitioners in the subject matter are the founder of Arik, Johnson Arumemi and its shareholders. The petition was signed on their behalf, by their lawyer, a frontline Hunan Rights Advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), Femi Falana.
The New Diplomat checks reveal that Justice Dada has officially issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Karu after he failed to appear at today’s scheduled trial session.
The judge expressed concern over his absence, ruling that his order is to ensure that Karu is brought before the court.
In the first count, Union Bank is charged with making a false statement to a public officer to cause-induce unwarranted sale of Arik Air loans and bank guarantees with Union Bank.
According to the charge, the bank is accused of making false statements to the Assets Management Cooperation of Nigeria (AMCON) regarding Arik Air Limited’s performing loans following which it transferred a bogus figure of N71,000,000,000.00 (Seventy One Billion Naira) to AMCON.
The offence is said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 96 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
In count 2, Ahmed Lawal Kuru, Kamilu Alaba Omokide as Receiver Manager of Arik Air Limited and CAPTAIN ROY ILEGBODU Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air Limited in Receivership, sometime in 2022 or thereabout, were alleged to have stolen and fraudulently converted to the use of NG Eagle Limited the total sum of N4,900,000.00 (Four Billion Nine Hundred Million Naira.)
According to the charge, the offence of stealing by fraudulent conversion of the property of another is said to be contrary to Section 278(1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
In count 3, it was alleged that CAPT. ROY ILEGBODU, as MD/CEO of Arik Air Ltd in receivership in May 2024 or thereabout, did steal the sum of N22,500,000.00 (Twenty-Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) by fraudulently converting same to the use of someone else.
In count 4, it was alleged that AHMED LAWAL KURU as Managing Director of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and KAMILU ALABA OMOKIDE as Receiver/Manager of Arik Air Ltd. being public officers, on 11th July 2019 or thereabout in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directed to be done in abuse of the authority of his offices an arbitrary act, to wit: intentionally and in violation of the discharge of his functions incorporated a Company called NG Eagle Limited, RC Number 1600277 to obtain undue advantage for himself and or cronies.
According to the charges, the offense of abuse of office is contrary to and punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
In count 5, KAMILU ALABA OMOKIDE, AHMED LAWAL KURU AND CAPT. ROY ILEGBODU on the 12th day of February 2022 or thereabout, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court being public officers directed to be done in abuse of the authority of his office and with intention of obtaining undue advantage for himself and cronies an arbitrary act, to wit: intentionally authorizing the teardown and destruction of 5N-JEA with Serial No. 15058 valued at $31.5M (Thirty-One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars), an arbitrary act, which act is prejudicial to the economic stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Arik Air Limited.
In count 6, KAMILU ALABA OMOKIDE, AHMED LAWAL KURU, and SUPER BRAVO LIMITED on the 29th day of November,2023 or thereabout in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted to the use of Super Bravo Limited three (3) Boeing aircrafts known as Manufacturer Serial Number 33944 Registration Number 5N MJG, Manufacturer Serial Number 35638 Registration Number 5N MJN and Manufacturer Serial Number 34761Registration Number 5N MJE property of Arik Air Limited.
According to the charge sheet, the offence of stealing by dishonestly taking the property of another is contrary to Section 278(1) (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
