The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has told a Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, to dismiss the application seeking to release the international passport of a 35-year-old businesswoman, Rukayya Dantata, in her ongoing trial over alleged N350 million theft.
The police said the defendant is a flight risk and may not attend trial if the international passport is released to her.
Dantata is standing trial before Justice Rahman Oshodi over an allegation of a N350 million fraud charge filed against her by the police.
However, in a counter affidavit filed by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Moruf Animashaun, argued that granting the request of the defendant would endanger the trial.
Opposing the defendant’s application, Animashaun said that the law is settled and that the defendant cannot dictate how a court should exercise its discretion.
Animashaun submitted that an applicant seeking for variation of bail term must adduce sufficient materials to establish exceptional circumstances before the court.The prosecution subsequently tendered four exhibits to substantiate his claims that the defendant is a flight risk and that she might jump bail.
According to him, “My Lord, the prosecution opposed the application seeking to release the defendant’s international passport. We have placed before the court various exhibits, which include a warrant of arrest issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja and Nasarawa Chief Magistrates Court, Police Gazette Bulletin, which declared her wanted and a petition to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
“We have also filed a written address dated December 24, 2024. We urge your Lordship to grant our relief and dismiss the defendant’s application as lacking in merit,” he said.
Dantata had applied to the court, through her counsel, Dr Muiz Banire (SAN), appealing for the release of her international passport, which was deposited in the court as part of bail conditions granted after she was arraigned.
Banire urged the court to grant his client’s request. He added that an international passport should not be a yardstick for bail conditions as it is not a general document owned by many Nigerians.
Justice Oshodi after listening to their arguments and submission adjourned the case to March 10, 2025, for ruling and further proceedings.
The Police had on September 15, 2024, arraigned Dantata, for allegedly defrauding a Bureau de Change consulting firm of N350 million, through her firm, Adat Ventures.
She was arraigned on two counts, bordering on cheating and obtaining money under false pretence.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences contravene the provision of Section 1(a)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, and Section 323 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the court had granted Dantata N30 million bail with two sureties in like sum.
The court had ordered that both sureties must provide an affidavit of means and evidence of three years’ tax payments to the Lagos State Government.
Justice Oshodi had also ordered Dantata to deposit her passport and other travel documents to the court’s Chief Registrar, adding that the registrar must verify both her home and office addresses.
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