Details As Court Orders Arrest Of Innoson Motors Boss Chukwuma

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A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos has ordered the arrest of the Chairman of Innoson Motors, Mr Innocent Chukwuma, and two others.

The two others affected by the order are: Charles Chukwu and Anajekwu Sunny.

Justice Ayokunle Faji gave the order following what the court described as their persistent refusal to come before it to answer a criminal charge made against them by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

Sometime in Dec. 2015, Innocent, his firm, Innoson Motors Nigeria Limited Company, Charles Chukwu, Anajekwu Sunny and a shipping company, Mitsui Osk lines had been charged before the court on four counts bordering on conspiracy, forgery and fraud to the tune of N2.4bn.

But since the charge was filed only the shipping company was represented in court while Mr Innocent Chukwuma and others did not show up in court to take their plea to the charge.

Following their failure to appear, the prosecutor, Mr Julius Ajakaiye, a Director in the Ministry of Justice, filed and argued the motion for a bench warrant against Innocent and others.

Ajakaiye had informed the court that the warrant of arrest was pursuant to sections 113, 114 and 395 of Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

Recall that while the charge and the motion for the defendants’ arrest warrant was pending at the Federal High Court, Mr Innocent Chukwuma and the other defendants filed two appeals at the Court of Appeal challenging the service of the charge and the warrant of arrest on them.

The appeal court discharged Innoson Motors but dismissed the appeals in respect of Innocent Chukwuma, Charles Chukwu, and Anajekwu Sunny’s paving the way for the court to rule today on the motion for their arrest.

While ruling on the motion for the arrest of the defendants today, Justice Faji held: “the issues raised by the defendants challenging the charge can only come up after their pleas have been taken. The prosecution’s application has merit.

“Consequently, warrant of arrest is hereby ordered to be issued against the first defendant, Innocent Chukwuma, second defendant, Charles Chukwu and the third defendant, Anajekwu Sunny”.

After the ruling, Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) who had just come into the matter as a member of the prosecution team, applied to the court for a date to arraign the defendants.

Ayorinde told the court that the charge had been filed since 2015.

Following the request, Justice Faji, fixed Friday, June 28 for the arraignment of the defendants.