Court issues arrest warrant against Innoson motors owner for being absent at trial (Details, pics)

Justice Mojisola Dada of Ikeja high court sitting in Lagos, on Friday, February 9, issued an arrest warrant against the chairman of Innoson Group, Innocent Chukwuma, for failing to appear before her to face his trial. The New Telegraph reports that Justice Dada ordered that Chukwuma be arrested and kept in custody a day before the next adjourned date which is March 14, 2018.When the case earlier came up before the court in January, 2018, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Chukwuma failed to make an appearance for his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of fraud and stealing.

Chukwuma and his company reportedly failed to appear for their scheduled arraignment to the consternation of the anti-graft agency. The counsel to the defendants, U Onwukwe, had told the court that he had filed an application challenging its jurisdiction to hear the case.

“We have an application objecting to the jurisdiction of this court and it was filed on January 15.  “The EFCC arrested them and they know where they reside, they granted the second defendant (Innocent Chukwuma) bail on self-recognizance. He said he was told to come to EFCC office on Feb. 20, and in December, they went ahead to file these charges," he argued.

“My client has not been served, when this matter was filed, the EFCC went to social media, and it was through social media that we became aware and we have not been served. He argued that he was told to come to EFCC office on Feb 20, but in December, 2017, they went ahead to file these charges.

“Charles Chukwuma,who is the third defendant in the charge, was not even arrested by the EFCC,” Onwukwe said. However, counsel to the EFCC, Zainab Ettu, argued: “The most important thing is for us to proceed to trial; the defendants are on administrative bail.

"As diligent citizens of the country, when they were aware of the charges they are to come to the EFCC office with their counsel and receive a copy of the charge. “In order to frustrate the trial, they did not come to court but rather filed a frivolous application; they have been evading service.

“The person they are trying to protect is the second defendant who thinks he is too mighty to come to court; the defence counsel is shielding his client.

“My Lord, we will be asking for the shortest possible date since they are evading service, so that we can serve them in the courtroom.”

Justice Mojisola Dada then asked the EFCC to pass an advance copy of the charge to Onwukwe as a form of service, but he objected saying that he could not accept the advance copy of the charge as a form of service to the defendants.