The Nigeria Police Force has withdrawn the N1.3 billion fraud charges filed against Gbolahan Obanikoro, son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, and four other defendants. The decision was formally communicated to the Federal High Court in Lagos through a Notice of Withdrawal submitted under Section 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The document, dated February 4, 2025, was signed by Chief Superintendent of Police Justin Enang. However, it did not provide any specific reason for the withdrawal of the case, which was marked FHC/L/902c/2024. The notice simply stated: “Take notice that the prosecution hereby withdraws the above-mentioned charge against the defendants herein.”
The case involved allegations of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, and fraud. The defendants, alongside Gbolahan Obanikoro, included Adejare Adegbenro, Balmoral International Limited, M.O.B. Integrated Limited, and DDSS International Company Limited.
According to the police, the defendants conspired between May and September 2013 to fraudulently obtain N1,356,057,330.43 from Access Bank Plc (formerly Diamond Bank). They allegedly misrepresented themselves to bank officials, claiming they were engaged in the importation of brand-new cars from Dubai for resale in Nigeria. The police also accused them of unlawfully converting N1 billion of the bank’s funds for personal use.
The defendants were initially scheduled for arraignment on January 26, 2025, before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa. However, they failed to appear in court, leading the prosecutor, Momoh Bello, to request a bench warrant for their arrest. This request was opposed by Joshua Abel, counsel for the fourth defendant, M.O.B. Integrated Limited.
Following the missed arraignment, the court rescheduled the hearing for February 27, 2025. However, with the police now withdrawing the charges, sources indicate that the court might officially strike out the case as early as today (Friday).
