By G9ija
A Grade 1 Area Court, Kubwa, Abuja on Tuesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the Senator representing Orlu Zone, Imo West Senatorial District of Imo State in the Nigerian Senate, Hope Uzodinma.
The presiding judge, Abdulwahab Mohammed, issued the arrest warrant following a criminal complaint filed before the court by Chima Akuzie, and his company, Chitek Ventures Ltd., accusing the senator of issuing N200m dud cheque to them.
Uzodinma and his companies – Smiec Engineering and Chemical construction company and Niger Global Engineering and Technical Company Limited – are named as the defendants in the direct complaint marked, CR/358/2018.
The judge, acting under Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, had entered a “not guilty plea” for Uzodinma and his companies.
The judge explained that the arrest warrant was issued against the senator after his alleged consistent absence from court to answer to the direct criminal complaint pending against
him.
He noted that the senator had refused to show up in court despite evidence of being served with a court summons.
The court made the order on the heels of an oral application by a lawyer to the complainants, Oluwatosin Ojaomo, who noted that Uzodinma was absent in court despite being represented on the previous date by a lawyer, Eze Oguaju, and being aware of the proceedings slated for September 18.
Oguaju was absent from the Tuesday’s proceedings.
The complainants alleged that Uzodinma subcontracted to them a shore-line protection contract in Koko, Delta State, which the senator was said to have got from the Niger Delta Development Commission.