Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, March 17, 2025, ordered\u00a0 Chairman of Honeywell Group, \u00a0\u00a0Oba Otudeko to appear in court for his arraignment over an alleged N12.3bn fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission , EFCC.<\/p>\n
Otudeko was to be arraigned alongside a former Managing Director of First Bank Plc, Olabisi Onasanya; a former board member of Honeywell, Soji Akintayo and a firm, Anchorage Leisure Limited, on a 13-count charge, bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N12.3 billion.<\/p>\n
The defendants, however, are seeking to evade their arraignment with preliminary objections, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to try them.<\/p>\n
Justice Aneke had, at the sitting on February 13, 2025, adjourned till Monday ( March 17, 2025) for ruling on the application filed by Otudeko, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the multiple fraud charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commision, EFCC.<\/p>\n
At Monday\u2019s \u00a0sitting, counsel to Otudeko, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, informed the court that counsel from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation , AGF, on March 12, 2025, convened a meeting, which was also attended by the nominal complainant.<\/p>\n
He also told the court that substantial progress was made regarding the matter during the meeting.<\/p>\n
Otudeko\u2019s counsel further stated that it was\u00a0agreed by all that no party should file further processes in this matter\u00a0after Monday\u2019s\u00a0\u00a0ruling by the court.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe next date for the meeting in the office of the AGF is slated for\u00a0April 9, 2025.\u00a0 Pursuant to this development, we’ll be asking for a date\u00a0after April 9, depending on the outcome the meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding, counsel to the EFCC, Bilkisu Buhari, confirmed the development.\u00a0 Buhari, however, prayed the court to adjourn the matter for an arraignment or a report of settlement.<\/p>\n
In his ruling on the application filed by Otudeko, Justice Aneke\u00a0 held that the arraignment of the defendants should come before the hearing of all the pending\u00a0 preliminary objections.<\/p>\n
Consequently, the judge adjourned\u00a0till May 8, 2025\u00a0for the report of settlement by the parties.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, March 17, 2025, ordered\u00a0 Chairman of Honeywell Group, \u00a0\u00a0Oba Otudeko to appear in court for his…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":116796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n