Justice D. Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Umuahia, Abia State, has issued a bench warrant on James Maduakolam Amadi for absconding after entering a plea bargain agreement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Amadi was absent in court on April 10, 2019 for the continuation of his trial, and his counsel, O.C. Nwosu, told the court that he had no knowledge of his whereabout.
He is standing trial for allegedly obtaining the sum of N3 million by false pretence from one Soyabuchi Emmanuel.
According to the victim, he said he succumbed to Amadi’s sympathetic story and decided to assist him without knowing he was being scammed, as Amadi started making unreasonable and unwarranted demands for money.
He however, petitioned the EFCC after he realised that he had been defrauded.
Amadi was first arraigned by the EFCC on October 22, 2018, and pleaded “not guilty” to the two-count charge.
At the time, he was granted bail before he approached the EFCC for a plea bargain agreement. He, however, absconded thereafter.
In view of his disappearance, prosecuting counsel, Nwandu Ukoha, prayed the court to revoke Amadi’s bail and issue a bench warrant on him.
Nwosu, however, promptly objected and pleaded with the court not to revoke the bail of his client.
But Justice Osiagor upheld the prayer of the prosecution and issued a bench warrant on Amadi, but did not revoke his bail.
In a related development, a Federal High Court, sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, presided over by Justice A.A. Okeke, has issued a bench warrant on one Churchill Godwin Amaechi who was first arraigned by the EFCC on March 21, 2018, on a 28-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence.
Amaechi was arraigned alongside Joshua Jude Omobasemoya who has been convicted and sentenced accordingly by the court.
But after Amaechi was granted bail following his not guilty plea on March 21, 2018, he jumped bail and till date has failed to appear in court, hence the bench warrant issued on him.
Amaechi’s petitioners numbering 50 alleged that he approached them with a mouth-watering proposal to invest in a money profit scheme, under the guise that he was a representative of Dangote company in the southern part of the country and that the scheme was part of their social responsibility, geared towards creating wealth and doubling savings for citizens, using Global Divine Rich Resources Nigeria.