The Federal High Court in Lagos has scheduled February 27, 2025, for the arraignment of Gbolahan Obanikoro, son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, alongside four others over alleged involvement in a N1.3 billion fraud. The defendants include Adejare Adegbenro, aged 51; Balmoral International Limited; M.O.B. Integrated Limited; and DDSS International Company Limited.
The charges brought against them include conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, false representation, and fraud. The case was heard on Friday by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa, who set the arraignment date following the defendants’ failure to appear in court as previously scheduled.
When the case was called, the prosecution counsel, Momoh Bello, informed the court that the hearing was meant for the arraignment of the defendants. However, their absence prompted Bello to request a bench warrant for their arrest, noting that they had been served legal notices.
Counsel for the fourth defendant, M.O.B. Integrated Limited, Joshua Abel, opposed the bench warrant, stating that his client, being a corporate entity, received the court notice late on Wednesday, and he was only informed of the case on Thursday. Abel also explained that most directors of the firm were currently out of the country, which complicated their ability to respond promptly.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa requested evidence of service for the defendants, particularly the first and second individuals.
The judge noted, “I want proof of service and the date of service. The record of this court shows that service was effected on the third and fourth defendants. It’s less than 48 hours that they have been served; one of them was served yesterday. The first and second defendants are natural persons and there is no proof of service on them.
“The law says personal service. You can go and regularise service on the defendants. There is no proof that the first and second defendants have been served. However, there is proof that the third and fourth defendants have been served. The prosecution is directed to serve the first and second defendants,” the judge ruled and then adjourned till February 27, 2025, for the arraignment of all the defendants.
The judge subsequently directed the prosecution to ensure proper service of legal notices to all defendants and adjourned the case to February 27, 2025.
According to the Inspector General of Police, through the Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, the defendants allegedly conspired between May and September 2013 to fraudulently obtain N1,356,057,330.43 from Access Bank Plc, formerly known as Diamond Bank. The prosecution claims the defendants misrepresented themselves as car importers seeking funds to finance the importation of vehicles from Dubai for resale in Nigeria.
It was further alleged that the defendants unlawfully converted over N1 billion of the funds for personal use, knowing the money was obtained through illegal means. These actions are said to violate the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offenses Act of 2006 and the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
