Court orders arrest of Imo Deputy Speaker

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of Amarachi Iwuanyawu, the Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, over his alleged complicity in alleged N785 million fraud.

Inyang Ekwo, the judge, made the order on Friday following an ex-parte request by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for a warrant arrest against Mr Iwuanyawu who is the Chairman of an Abuja-based firm, Sun Gold Estate Limited.

The judge ordered the EFCC to apprehended Mr Iwuanyawu and detain him till 23 February 2023, when he is expected to be brought to the court.

Case against IwuanyawuIn the ex-parte application argued by Olarewaju Adeola, EFCC’s lawyer, Mr Iwuanyawu, an estate developer, was alleged to have in 2012 entered into an agreement with another Abuja Company, Hokiz Investment Limited.

In the agreement, Mr Iwuanyawu’s company, Sun Gold Estate Limited, agreed to build 14 units of four-bedroom terrace and one block of six flats on the land of Hokiz Investment Limited at Mabushi in Abuja.

According to court filings, the two parties agreed that 40 per cent 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 per cent.

But, 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 per cent of the buildings put at N785 million was said to have been made away with by Mr Iwuanyawu.

Mr Adeola informed the court that a petition signed by Abdullahi Malik, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) on behalf of Hokiz Investment Limited was being investigated.

The anti-graft agency lamented that all efforts to make Mr Iwuanyawu honour its invitations concerning the allegations were futile.

It said Mr Iwuanyawu had escaped to the United States.

After listening to Mr Adeola and examining the exhibits placed before the court, Mr Ekwo ordered the anti-graft agency to go after the suspect, “arrest, detain and produce him in court on February 23 next year.”

The EFCC based its request on section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud, section 35 of the 1999 Constitution and sections 3, 37, 39 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.