An Abuja High Court has ordered the arrest of Nnaemeka Chukwueze, a civil engineer, over his failure to appear in a criminal case involving alleged forgery, impersonation and theft of property documents.
Justice Samira-Umar Bature made the order after the prosecution requested a warrant, citing the absence of the defendant during scheduled arraignment proceedings.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, following the filing of an amended charge dated 8 April 2025 by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
Chukwueze is one of six defendants charged in a 12-count case alongside Samuel Udo-Imeh, Ifeanyi Abaekwueme, Bob Chiedozie Ugu, Earth Conscience Limited and NBC Infrastructure West Africa Limited.
Court proceedings were stalled after both the first and fourth defendants failed to appear. While counsel to Udo-Imeh told the court that his client was delayed by an emergency, Chukwueze’s lawyer claimed his client was undergoing a medical procedure.
However, the medical report submitted to support the claim indicated that Chukwueze was being treated for hypertension, prompting the prosecution to argue that the explanation was inconsistent and unreliable.
Prosecuting counsel Matthew Onoja told the court that the contradiction between the oral submission and the medical report undermined the defence’s credibility, urging the judge to disregard both and issue a warrant of arrest.
In her ruling, Justice Bature held that the defendant had failed to present sufficient material to justify his absence and granted the prosecution’s application for a warrant of arrest.
In a related development, the third defendant, Bob Chiedozie Ugu—who is representing himself—requested that the case be given an accelerated hearing. The application was supported by both the prosecution and defence counsel and was granted.
The court fixed 11, 12, 15 and 19 May for continuation of the trial.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants conspired to forge title documents, including a Power of Attorney, in order to unlawfully convert property belonging to Nexune Nigeria Limited.
