Court orders EFCC to arrest former Kwara hotel boss over N277m fraud

JUSTICE Josephine Oyefeso of an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mohammed Gobir over an alleged fraud of N277 million.

The Judge ordered Gobir’s arrest after he failed to appear in court.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), in 2017, arraigned alongside his company Mondial Defense Systems Limited on a five-count-charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and forgery to the tune N277m and allegedly converted the money meant for the purchase of security bands for Kwara State government to personal use.

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At Tuesday’s proceedings, EFCC counsel, A.B.C Ozioko asked the court to issue a bench warrant against Gobir for his refusal to come and face his trial.

“This is the third time the defendant has failed to appear in court. The defendant has been absent from court without giving any cogent reason.

“He failed to appear on the 24th November 2017. Also on the 29th of November he failed to appear claiming that he started stooling and vomitting soon after getting to court.

“Now today someone came to to say that his flight was delayed and that the court should stand down the matter.

“This just goes on to show that he is not ready to face trial, therefore we asking the court to issue a bench warrant against him.

The Judge thereafter iasued a bench warrant against Gobir and adjourned the matter till January27 for continuation of trial.

One of the charges reads: “That you Mohammad Gobir and Mondial Defence Systems Limited sometime in November 2012 at Ikeja within the Ikeja Judicial Division dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N92,340,000.000 property of the Kwara State Goverment entrusted to you for the purchase of 3(three) Units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC)”.

Another charge reads: “That you Mohammad Gobir and Mondial Defence Systems Limited sometime in the year 2013 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N184,680,000.00 property of the Kwara State Government entrusted to you for the purchase of 3(Three) Units of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC)”.