By Abiola Olawale
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted an order permitting the arrest of a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, and two other officers over an alleged N1.5 billion money laundering lawsuit.
The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, during court proceedings on Friday granted the prayers of Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha, the legal counsel of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
During the court proceedings, Akponimisingha argued that at the commencement of the investigation into the allegations, the defendants were released on administrative bail on self-recognition because of their status as serving and former public figures and have since refused to show up for possible arraignment in court.
He said: “This Honourable Court in an ex-parte application by the Complainant/Applicant granted an order of substituted service of the charge on the Defendants/Respondents through O.J. ONOJA, SAN & ASSOCIATES.
” Sequel to the said order of substituted service, the Complainant/Applicant has since served the charge on the Defendants/Respondents through their Counsel, O.J. ONOJA, SAN & ASSOCIATES.
” Despite the service of the criminal charge on the Defendants/Respondents through their Counsel, O.J, ONOJA, SAN & ASSOCIATES, they have failed or neglected to come to court for their arraignment.
“This Honorable court has the statutory as well as the inherent powers to grant this application according to the provisions of sections 184 of ACJA as well as section 6 (6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
The lawyer prayed the court for a bench warrant against the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Respondents (Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin Oyibe, Adam Imam Yusuf, and Brigadier General Ishaya Gamgum Bauka) in charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/158/2023 is pending before the court to arrest and bring them to court for their arraignment and trial.”
Following the prayers from the prosecution lawyer, Justice Ekwo granted the application, sanctioning the arrest of Jibrin and the other two officers joined in the lawsuit.
The New Diplomat recalls that the ICPC in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/158/2023 listed Usman Jibrin Oyibe, Adam Imam Yusuf, Brigadier General Ishaya Gangum Bauka, Lahab integrated & Multi Services Limited, Gate Coast Properties International Limited and Ummays Hummayd Energy Ltd, as first to sixth defendants in the 17-count charge.
Two of the counts read: “That you VICE Admiral Usman Jibrin Oyibe (M) sometime in March 2015 ог thereabout in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being the Chief of Naval Staff of the Nigerian Navy did take possession of the sum of N22,000,000.00 (Twenty-Two Million Naira) deposited by Sand Prop Ltd into the Zenith Bank account number: 1013913028 of Gate Coast Properties International Limited, a company account which bears your signature against the name and passport photograph of one Lami Idum as the sole signatory, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.
“That you Adam Imam Yusuf (M) sometime in January 2020 or thereabout in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a staff of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) did take possession of the sum of N410,000,000.00 (Four Hundred and Ten Million Naira) deposited into your Zenith Bank account number 2219799630 by Gate Coast Properties International Limited, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.”
