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Court threatens bench warrant against senator Andy Uba

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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.

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“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.

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“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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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Nafiu Gombe: Yes, I have sponsors! *I can’t fight ADC big men alone!

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Nafiu Bala Gombe, the man on whose behalf the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is currently in a prostrate state, has admitted to getting outside help in prosecuting his legal matters against the David Mark camp.

Recall that Mark, former Senate President and Rauf Aregbesola were, last week, derecognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and had their names struck out based on the case filed by Gombe on September 2, 2025.

The commission had relied on the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered parties in the case to maintain status quo ante bellum, which it interpreted to mean that it should not deal with either side.

Against the backdrop of the dust the matter had raised across the country, the embattled ADC leadership, had accused the former Deputy Chairman of being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to play the spoiler role to enable President Bola Tinubu have no challenge in the 2027 presidential election.

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Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the Mark camp, had last week, stated this much when he wondered how Gombe, who on his own could not afford an ordinary lawyer, going by his financial status, would now be hiring more than three Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) to represent him, which would probably run into tens of millions of naira.

Reacting on Tuesday, Gombe admitted getting outside help, but added that such assistance was not coming from government quarters or the APC, but from public-spirited individuals and Nigerians averse to the injustice being meted out to him.

Abimuku Monday, spokesman to Gombe, who spoke during an appearance on Morning Briefs, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, on Tuesday, told his host: “Before now, they were saying these people are big weights and we’re light weights. Now, we’re suddenly being seen as human beings. Earlier, we were seen as nobodies – as boys who don’t have capacity to challenge this in court.

“They say Nafiu Bala does not even have money to pursue his case. You see, that’s how they reduce people by their own estimation. They don’t find out who people. They have forgotten that for you to seek legal actions, there are so many ways to go about it.

“It is either you use your own money or your personal relationship with people. Does it mean that somebody in politics cannot have his own friends or cannot have lawyers as his friend or cannot have other members of the society as his friends.

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“These are not members of the APC. They don’t belong to any party. They’re citizens of this country, who mean well for Nigeria. Nobody is scuttling the coalition. The fact remains that if you have a challenge, people will rally around you knowing it’s a good cause you’re fighting. People will rally around you to give you the necessary support that you need. They even called my principal a small boy.”

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Woman returns N1million discovered in purchased items to owner  

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Serah Luca, a Christian woman, has returned N1 million she unknowingly took along with goods purchased from a trader at Terminus market in Jos, Plateau state capital.

Luca, a petty trader, reportedly said she made the purchase on Friday and only discovered the hidden cash after getting home.

She said her decision to return the money was driven by fear of God and her belief that she could not keep what did not belong to her, especially knowing the hardship that comes with losing money in business.

“I am a petty businesswoman. I know what it means to suffer loss. If I put that kind of money into my business, I believe God would punish me,” Daily Trust quoted her as saying.

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The trader, Abubakar Dola, who deals in polythene bags at Terminus market, expressed surprise at the woman’s honesty, noting that he had no idea where the money went after mistakenly placing it inside the bag she bought.

Dola said he had planned to transfer the cash through a point of sales (POS) operator but became worried when he could not see the polythene bag where the money was kept.

“I mistakenly included it in what she bought. I didn’t realise until days later, and I had already given up hope. For her to return it after three days is remarkable. I pray Allah rewards her and gives us more people like her.”

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Strait of Hormuz: Comply now or you’ll be history – Trump warns Iran

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“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” were the words with which US President Donald Trump, flashed the redlight signal over what could be the fate of Iran in the coming hours, after a month-old war, which saw leaders of the Islamic nation, all but totally obliterated.

The POTUS, who on Saturday, gave Iran 48 hours to to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic approaches, or comply or risk facing “hell,” later threatened that the US would blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges if Tehran failed to adhere to his warning.

However, in his latest threat on Monday, Trump told reporters that Iran had until Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET (1 am WAT) to make a deal, adding: “We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business – burning, exploding and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition – by 12 o’clock. And it’ll happen over a period of four hours if we want it to. We don’t want that to happen.”

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