Hon Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the issuance of a bench warrant against a couple, Tunde Akobi and Rebecca Akobi, over allegations of obtaining money by false pretence and fraud involving N87.4 million.
The order was made after the court granted an ex parte application marked FHC/L/115c/2026, filed and argued by S.O. Ayodele, a legal officer with the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos.
Ayodele told the court that the application was brought pursuant to Sections 113 and 114 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, the Extradition Modification Order 2014, the Federal High Court Extradition Procedure Rules 2015, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.
The application was supported by an affidavit sworn by Chief Superintendent of Police Omitosin Rotimi, the investigating officer who led the probe into the allegations against the couple.
According to the affidavit, the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police at the FCID Annex received a petition alleging that the defendants obtained money by false pretence. The affidavit stated that the complainant, Nena Eunice Iyare, made a statement to the police confirming the allegations and provided payment receipts related to the transaction.
The investigating officer further stated that the defendants are believed to be in the United Kingdom and that the INTERPOL Section of the FCID Annex in Lagos is working with the Ministry of Justice to facilitate mutual legal assistance aimed at repatriating them to Nigeria to face trial.
Rotimi told the court that granting the application would enable law enforcement authorities to arrest the defendants and ensure their appearance before the court.
After considering the submissions, Justice Lewis-Allagoa granted the application and ordered that a bench warrant be issued against the couple.
According to the pending charges, the defendants and others still at large allegedly obtained N87.4 million from Mrs. Nena Eunice Nwokoro in 2021 under the pretence of selling land to her. Prosecutors allege that the representation was false and made with intent to defraud.
The charges state that the alleged conduct contravenes Section 1(1)(c) and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.
The defendants are also accused of stealing the N87.4 million from Nwokoro, an offence prosecutors say is contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
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