BREAKING: Court orders arrest of Hudu, Oricha over alleged N46B Kogi State Bank withdrawal

The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant for Abdulsalamu Hudu and Umar Shuaibu Oricha, ordering their appearance in court to address criminal charges related to the alleged withdrawal of N46,039,579,919.38 from Kogi State government bank accounts, among other accusations Nairametrics reports.

The order, granted by Justice Emeka Nwite on Tuesday, followed a motion ex parte filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) under suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/909/2024.

This case is part of a broader EFCC investigation into alleged financial misconduct involving several Kogi State government officials and their associates. According to the EFCC’s motion, investigator Audu Abubakar informed the court about a significant fraud involving former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello and various officials. The fraud allegedly involved converting substantial sums from the Kogi State Government into assets or renovations of properties both locally and abroad.

Abubakar detailed that between February 2016 and September 2021, Hudu was reportedly used to withdraw a total of N46,039,579,919.38 in cash from an account held by the Kogi State Government at Zenith Bank Plc. Additionally, C. Olufunke was alleged to have withdrawn N2,402,533,621 from the same account between March 23, 2016, and April 30, 2018.

The investigation also revealed that Murtala Maigari and his associates were allegedly involved in integrating these funds into the economy, while Dauda Sulaiman was identified as a key member of the syndicate responsible for moving the funds to Maigari and his team.

Some of the individuals mentioned are already facing trial for money laundering offenses. The EFCC requested the court to issue arrest warrants for Hudu and Oricha to ensure their appearance to address these charges.

Justice Nwite granted the EFCC’s request, ruling that the application dated July 3, 2024, is approved. The court issued a warrant for the arrest of Abdulsalamu Hudu and Umar Shuaibu Oricha to bring them before the court to respond to the allegations against them and to be dealt with according to the law.