A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday, fixed April 2 for the arraignment of the chairman of Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, and his company for N135 billion fraud.
The trial judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo fixed the date following the absence of the defendants in court for the second time since the charge was filed by the federal government.
At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, the prosecutor, Kunle Adegoke in an exparte application filed and argued before the court urged the court to grant an order for the service of the charge sheet through the bailiff of the court on Ifeanyi Patrick Uba by serving same charge on him through his legal representative to wit, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN).
In an affidavit sworn to by one, Haleemah Adegoke, the government averred that the bailiff of the court told her that, he took steps to effect service of the charge on Ubah personally in December 2019 at the registered office of Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited, but he was unable to serve him personally.
“Since then he has been evading service. On the 4th day of December, when the defendant was expectedly absent to take his plea in court, Agbakoba announced his appearance for him and also informed the court that his client was yet to be served.
“Consequently, based on the forgoing it is now imperative that he should be served with a copy of the charge by means to wit, through his counsel, Agbakoba whose appearance in court necessarily suggests that he is well informed of the charges against him notwithstanding that he has not been served personally,” Adegoke said.
In a short ruling, Justice Oweibo acceding to the request of the prosecutor ordered that Uba should be served through his counsel and adjourned to April 2 for arraignment of Ifeanyi Uba and his company, adding that by that time he must have been served.
However, before the adjournment counsel representing Capital Oil and Gas Limited, Ajibola Oluyede, told the court that, there was an on -going process for amicable settlement of the matter.
Dr Agbakoba was not in court yesterday, but a lawyer from his chamber, Mr Frank Ideho appeared for Ifeanyi Uba.