The Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa on Thursday issued a warrant for the arrest of the United Bank for Africa Plc and four of its staff who are standing trial for allegations bordering on cybercrime, fraud and stealing.
The presiding judge, Justice Abimbola Awogboro the issued warrant following their failure to appear in court even after they were summoned in charge No. FHC/YNG/10c/2019.
The defendants were alleged to have manipulated the account of the Federal High Court and reversed a deposit ordered by the court without authorizations.
Awogboro based the warrant of arrest on the application of the prosecution counsel, N.A Timothy-Hart of the Department of Public Prosecution, Federal Ministry of Justice.
The UBA and four staff are facing trial for offences of conspiracy, stealing, fraud and cybercrime at the Federal High Court, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
It was gathered that on the February 10 when the matter came up for hearing before the court, the defendants-UBA Plc, Ndubuisi Ogu, John Iyibor, Iheaka Onuoha and Okwesili Ugochukwu-were all absent from court.
They are alleged to have unlawfully caused the reversal of the sum of N33,699,450.00 already credited to the bank account of the Registrar, Federal High Court, Yenagoa.
The court had ordered the Nigerian Agip Oil Company to pay N33.69 million being compensation for an oil spill incident, but bankers to the oil firm, UBA Plc, reversed the payment shortly after compliance.
According to the charge, the defendants claimed to have relied on a non-existing Court of Appeal order to cause the said reversal.
Awogboro also ordered the Inspector-General of Police to arrest the UBA Plc and the four staff and bring them before the court on the next adjournment date of March 30, 2020.
