The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday granted an order to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and detain the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Hon. Amarachi Iwuanyanwu.
Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo directed the EFCC, the Nigeria Police, the Department of Stats Services, the Nigerian Immigration Services and the Interpol, to arrest the lawmaker on sight, “anywhere he is sighted in Nigeria or outside Nigeria and produce him before this honourable court or to the EFCC headquarters, Abuja”.
The judge ruled that Iwuanyanwu, who is also the Chairman of an Abuja based company, Sun Gold Estate Limited, should be detained till February 23 next year when he is expected to be brought to the court by the anti-graft agency.
The Judge granted the order while ruling in an ex-parte application brought before him by the Executive Chairman of EFCC.
In the ex-parte application argued by Olarewaju Adeola on behalf of the EFCC Chairman, the Developer was alleged to have in 2012 entered into an agreement with another Abuja Company, Hokiz Investment Limited.
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In the agreement, Sun Gold Estate Limited agreed to build 14 units of 4 bedrooms terrace and one block of 6 flats on the land of Hokiz Investment Limited at Mabushi in Abuja.
The two parties agreed that 40 percent of the buildings would be allocated to Hokiz Investment Limited being the owner of the land while Sun Gold Estate, as developer, would retain 60 percent.
However, upon completion, Sun Gold Estate Limited was said to have sold off all the buildings without the knowledge of the land owner.
The value of the 40 percent of the buildings put at N785M was said to have been made away with by the Chairman of the Estate Developer.
EFCC informed the court that a petition signed by Abdullahi Malik, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN on behalf of the aggrieved party was being investigated.
In the application marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2124/2024, EFCC, told the court that it got an intelligence that the lawmaker had since escaped from the country and is currently hiding in the United States of America, USA.
It told the court that the Respondent refused to make himself available to respond to a petition that was lodged against him and his company, Sun Gold Estate Limited.
Justice Ekwo after scrutinizing exhibits placed before the court along with convincing arguments of EFCC’S lawyer, Mr Olarewaju Adeola ordered that the anti-graft agency go after the suspect, arrest, detain and produce him in court on February 23 next year.