The Lagos State High Court, located in Ikeja, Lagos, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of businessman Cletus Ibeto, who failed to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment in connection with an alleged N4.8 billion fraud case.
In a statement released by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it was revealed that Justice I.O. Ijelu issued the bench warrant on Friday.
The judge had initially adjourned the arraignment of Cletus Ibeto, along with Ibeto Energy Development Company and Odoh Holdings, to November 3, 2023, on October 5, 2023. The charges against them include ten counts related to obtaining funds through false pretenses, fraudulent conversion of property, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and deception.
The adjournment had been granted following an application and appeal made by Cletus Ibeto’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu, who stated that he believed the matter could be resolved with some additional time. Mr. Ikpeazu also informed the court that he did not have a medical report to explain the defendant’s absence and suggested that the issue could potentially be resolved between the complainant and the defendants.
In response, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, acknowledged that plea bargaining was encouraged, even in criminal matters, but pointed out that the EFCC had given the parties an opportunity to resolve their differences, which they did not take advantage of, even before the charges were filed. Jacobs stressed the need for an arraignment to take place before the court could proceed with any further actions in the case.
