The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) has given the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police the permission to prosecute Sen. Andy Uba over allegations bordering on fraud to the tune of N400 million.
By Taiye Agbaje
The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) has given the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police the permission to prosecute Sen. Andy Uba over allegations bordering on fraud to the tune of N400 million.
I-G’s counsel, A.M. Abdullahi, told Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday upon resumed hearing in the matter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the prosecution had, on March 5, amended a two-count charge filed against Uba and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, before the former trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo.
The police had earlier named Uba, the former Senator representing Anambra South, and two others in the first charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024.
The co-defendants, in the two-count charge filed Oct. 10, 2024 by Abdulrashid Sidi in the Legal/Prosecution Section at the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, were Crystal Uba and Benjamin Etu as 2nd and 3rd defendants respectively.
But in the amended charge filed March 4 by Sidi, Uba and Etu are listed as 1st and 2nd defendants, while Crystal Uba’s name had been dropped form the charge.
In count one, Uba, Etu and Hajiya Fatima now at large, sometimes in 2022, were alleged to have conspired amongst themselves to commit the offence.
Uba and others were accused of obtaining by false pretence, by making a presentation to Mr George Uboh that they had perfected ways for the appointment of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to any interested persons who could afford N400 million.
“A presentation which you know is not true and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006.”
The offence, the prosecution said, is contrary to Section 1 (2) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related offences Act, 2006,” the count read in part.
Uboh, in a letter dated April 5, 2023, and addressed to the I-G, said the petition was based on documentary and voice recording.
According to Uboh, the evidence is overwhelming and irrefutable.
No fewer than six witnesses had been listed to testify against the ex-lawmaker and Etu.
However, in the last adjourned date before Justice Ekwo, the prosecution lawyer informed the court that the AGF had called for the case file for a review, following a petition written by the defendants.