A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for three staff of the Account and Finance Department of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) after they failed to appear in court for a multi-million-naira fraud case brought by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ICPC had charged four REA employees with allegedly receiving about one billion naira under the pretence of false project supervision.
When the cases were called on Thursday before Justice Emeka Nwite, Hanrrietta Onormen Okojie, Umar Musa Karaye, and Emmanuel Pada Titus were absent and they were not represented by any counsel.
ICPC counsel Dr. Osuobeni Ekoi Akponimisingha informed the court that the defendants were duly served and notified of their arraignment but chose not to appear.
The ICPC Counsel citing Sections 114 and 184 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 requested an arrest warrant for all three accused persons to ensure the defendants’ presence at the next court date.
Justice Nwite granted the request, issuing arrest warrants and ordering the prosecution to enforce them.