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Court threatens bench warrant against senator Andy Uba
A Federal High Court in Abuja has warned Senator Andy Uba of a potential bench warrant if he fails to appear in court on October 28 to address a criminal charge against him.
Uba, alongside Benjamin Etu, faces allegations of fraud involving N400 million, with the charge filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
On Wednesday, Justice Mohammed Umar issued the warning after Uba’s lawyer, C.F. Odiniru, requested additional time for his client to attend the court in person.
The judge’s warning came in response to a motion by the prosecution lawyer, Aminu Abdullahi, who sought a bench warrant against Uba under Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, citing Uba’s repeated absence from court proceedings.
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When the case was called on Wednesday, Etu appeared in the dock, but Uba was absent, prompting the court to inquire about his whereabouts.
Odiniru apologized, explaining that Uba was unable to attend due to health issues.
Abdullahi, however, raised concerns about Uba’s consistent absence, noting that a similar excuse was given during the previous hearing in July.
“On the last date, we reluctantly accepted, and the matter was adjourned. And today the same reason was advanced.
“My lord, we cannot fold our arms and continue this way. We will be applying for a bench warrant under Section 394 of ACJA, 2015, against the 1st defendant,” Abdullahi stated.
He argued that Uba’s repeated absence showed disrespect to the court and hindered the progress of the trial, pointing out that Uba had not appeared in court since the charge was filed in 2024.
Odiniru opposed the prosecution’s request for a bench warrant, stating, “We are opposing this application because consistently before the court, we have informed the court that the 1st defendant is ill and out of the country.”
He claimed Uba was receiving medical treatment in a U.S. hospital and said he had provided Abdullahi with documents verifying Uba’s condition prior to the court session, as directed during the last hearing.
“I told him (Abdullahi) and showed him the documents. These applications for a bench warrant, my lord, are made for an absconding suspect, and not for a person like the 1st defendant.
“Section 37 of ACJA says if you are interested in a bench warrant, you should go by oath,” Odiniru argued.
The judge responded rhetorically, asking, “So what you are saying is that we are going to remain this way even if it will take 10 years?
“Have you seen where a person has been brought to court on a stretcher?”
Odiniru suggested that the prosecution could verify the authenticity of his claims about Uba’s health.
Abdullahi, however, refuted Odiniru’s assertion, stating that no documents regarding Uba’s health were provided to him.
“He is just reprobating and approbating to my lord,” Abdullahi said.
“He (Odiniru) didn’t make any attempt to call me for anything, my lord, because he knows that what he is holding is not acceptable,” he added, urging the court to issue the bench warrant.
Justice Umar gave Odiniru a final chance, stating, “I will give you the last opportunity,” and instructed him to ensure Uba’s presence at the next hearing.
The case was adjourned to October 28 for a plea.
On July 7, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) authorized the IGP to prosecute Uba and Etu. The prosecution amended a two-count charge on March 5, initially filed against Uba and others before Justice Inyang Ekwo.
In the original charge (FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024), Uba, a former senator for Anambra South, was named alongside Crystal Uba and Benjamin Etu. However, in the amended charge filed on March 4 by Abdulrashid Sidi of the Police Force Headquarters’ Legal/Prosecution Section, Crystal Uba’s name was removed, leaving Uba and Etu as the first and second defendants.
In the first count, Uba, Etu, and Hajiya Fatima (currently at large) were alleged to have conspired in 2022 to commit the offense.
They were accused of defrauding Mr. George Uboh by falsely claiming they could secure the appointment of the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for anyone willing to pay N400 million.
“A presentation which you know is not true and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.”
The prosecution stated that the offense violated Section 1(2) and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
In a letter dated April 5, 2023, to the IGP, Uboh claimed his petition was supported by compelling documentary and audio evidence, describing it as “overwhelming and irrefutable.”
At least six witnesses are set to testify against Uba and Etu.
Hours after Mohammed Hayatu-Deen did, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, also flatly rejected the outcome of the presidential primaries, of the African Democratic Congress, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, described the announced results as “concocted,” insisting that the process failed to meet the standards of transparency and fairness earlier promised by the party.
He said in a statement: “I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi stated.
He said he had previously maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent, stressing that the exercise did not reflect the democratic values the ADC claimed to represent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that a significant number of party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor questioned the moral basis of the ADC criticising the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged electoral malpractice while allegedly engaging in similar conduct internally.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that leads to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable!” he declared.
Amaechi said the ADC was envisioned as a platform to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and provide credible political alternatives irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social background.
His rejection of the outcome is expected to deepen tensions within the opposition party following the conclusion of its presidential primary election.
“These timeless virtues of devotion, selflessness, and submission to divine will are values our nation desperately needs today,” were the exact words with which Godswill Akpabio, attempted to rouse Nigerians to the ethos of unquestionable faith and service to the country.
Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, who drew example from Prophet Ibrahim, admonished Nigerians to emulate his unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
The Senate President, who conveyed his sentiments via a statement by Eseme Eyiboh, also used the specifically hail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Kashim Shettima and Muslim faithful in Nigeria and around the world as they celebrate Eid El Kabir.
Stressing that the occasion called for prayer and sober reflection on the theme of sacrifice, he added: “This sacred occasion reminds us of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
“To our dear President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Senator Kashim Shettima and Muslim brothers and sisters, I felicitate with them on behalf of my family, constituents and the Senate on this blessed Eid. May the lessons of sacrifice, compassion, and generosity that define this season strengthen your faith and bring peace to your homes.
“As you share with the less privileged and extend love to neighbours of all faiths, you embody the true spirit of Nigeria. To all Nigerians, I urge us to use this solemn period to pray fervently for peace, security, and prosperity in our land. Let us pray for our troops in the frontlines, for farmers to return safely to their fields, and for unity to prevail over division in our Nation.
“Eid El Kabir also calls us to deep reflection on the future of our country. Just as Prophet Ibrahim was tested, Nigeria is in a season of testing. The sacrifices we make today in patience, in tolerance and in choosing hope over despair will determine the Nigeria our children inherit.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration, supported by the National Assembly, is anchored on that same principle: that meaningful progress often requires collective sacrifice.
“May Almighty Allah accept your prayers and sacrifices. May He heal our land, guide our leaders, and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Barka da Sallah. Eid Mubarak.”
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
These were the exact words of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, one of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with which he cast a slur on the ongoing presidential primaries of the party, hinging his position on reports of fraud trailing the exercise.
Hayatu-Deen, a second timer in the search for the nation’s number one job, ran against Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation.
In a statement on his assessment of the exercise which began on Monday, the renowned economist Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), used his X platform to convey his dissatisfaction with the process.
The ADC which said the collation for the exercise would take place in Abuja had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
Bolaji Abdullahi, its spokesman, who described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative, maintained that it remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” he said adding that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
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