Alleged N75bn, $31.5m Fraud: EFCC Arraigns Ex-AMCON MD, Ahmed Kuru Jan. 20

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Particular Offences Courtroom sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, December 12, 2024, adjourned until January 20, 2025 the arraignment of a former Managing Director of Belongings Administration Company of Nigeria AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, for an alleged N76bn and $31.5 million fraud.

He’s to be arraigned alongside Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, Managing Director of Arik Air, Kamilu Omokide, Receiver Supervisor of Arik Air, Union Financial institution Nigeria Plc and Tremendous Bravo Restricted over an alleged N75bn and $31.5m fraud.

The courtroom had on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Kuru for failing to seem in courtroom for his arraignment over an alleged N75bn and $31.5m Fraud.

Rely one reads: “That you just, Union Financial institution Nigeria Plc, someday in 2011 or thereabouts, in Lagos, inside the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtroom, with the intention of inflicting and/or inducing unwarranted sale of Arik Air loans and financial institution ensures with Union Financial institution, made false statements to the Belongings Administration  Company of Nigeria (AMCON), relating to Arik Air Restricted’s performing loans, following which you transferred a bogus determine of N71,000,000,000.00 (Seventy-One Billion Naira) to AMCON.”

Rely two reads: “That you just, Ahmed Lawal, Kuru, Kamilu Alaba Omokide as Receiver Supervisor of Arik Air Restricted, and Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Chief Government Officer of Arik Air Restricted in Receivership, someday in 2022 or thereabout, in Lagos, inside the jurisdiction of this honourable courtroom, fraudulently transformed to using NG Eagle Restricted the entire sum of N4,900,000,000.00 (4 Billion 9 Hundred Million Naira solely), property of Arik Air Restricted”.

Rely 5 reads: “That you just, Kamilu Alaba Omokide, Ahmed Lawal Kuru and Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, on the twelfth day of February, 2022 or thereabout, in Lagos, inside the jurisdiction of this Honourable Courtroom, being public officers, directed to be carried out in abuse of the authority of your workplace and with intention of acquiring undue benefit for your self and cronies an arbitrary act, to wit: deliberately authorizing the tear down and destruction of 5N-JEA with Serial No. 15058 valued at $31.5million (Thirty One Million, 5 Hundred Thousand {Dollars}), an arbitrary act, which act is prejudicial to the financial stability of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Arik Air Restricted”.

Earlier at Thursday’s  sitting , Kuru’s counsel, Olasupo Shasore, SAN had, in a movement on discover dated December 12, 2024, signed an enterprise and warranted the courtroom that he would produce his shopper for an arraignment on January 20, 2025.

Responding, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu, SAN, didn’t object to the appliance on the grounds that Shasore had signed an enterprise to supply his shopper for an arraignment and be certain that he attends his trial.

“My lord, if the discovered silk is assuring the courtroom that the second defendant will likely be obtainable on January 20 for his arraignment, we’ll not be objecting the appliance.

“We couldn’t contact him the way in which others had been contacted and his counsel has signed an enterprise that he’ll produce him. Understanding the implications of the enterprise, the prosecution won’t be objecting to the revocation of the bench warrant towards the second defendant.”

Consequently, Justice Dada, in a brief ruling, put aside the bench warrant earlier issued towards Kuru, in view of his presence in courtroom on Thursday.

Justice Dada, thereafter, adjourned the case until January 20, 2025, being the sooner scheduled date for the arraignment.