Ikeja special offences court in Lagos has issued an arrest warrant for Ahmed Kuru, the former managing director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), after he failed to appear for his scheduled trial.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kuru was set to be arraigned on six counts, including theft and abuse of office.
On the day of the trial, Kuru and his legal representatives were absent, leading the presiding judge, Mojisola Dada, to order his arrest.
The charges against Kuru were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is also pursuing similar charges against Roy Ilegbodu, the managing director of Arik Air, Kamilu Omokide, the receiver manager of Arik Air, as well as Union Bank and Super Bravo Limited.
The case began following a petition from Femi Falana, a senior advocate of Nigeria, acting on behalf of Johnson Arumemi, the founder of Arik Air, and the airline’s shareholders. According to the EFCC, Union Bank is accused of making false statements to AMCON concerning Arik Air’s loans and bank guarantees, which resulted in AMCON receiving N71 billion.
The EFCC has charged Kuru, Omokide, and Ilegbodu with the theft and fraudulent conversion of N4.9 billion for the benefit of NG Eagle Limited in 2022. Additionally, Kuru and Omokide are accused of establishing NG Eagle Limited with the intention of obtaining undue advantages for themselves and their associates.
The EFCC further alleges that Kuru, Omokide, and Ilegbodu authorized the destruction of an aircraft, N-JEA, valued at $31.5 million on February 12, 2022.
“That you, UNION BANK NIGERIA PLC, sometimes in 2011 or thereabout, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intention of causing and/or inducing unwarranted sale of Arik Air loans and bank guarantees with Union Bank, made false statements to the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) regarding Arik Air Limited’s performing loans following which you transferred a bogus figure of N71,000,000,000.00 (Seventy- One Billion Naira) to AMCON,” the charge sheet reads.
“That you, AHMED LAWAL KURU, Kamilu Alaba Omokide as Receiver Manager of Arik Air Limited and CAPTAIN ROY ILEGBODU Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air Limited in Receivership, sometimes in 2022 or thereabout, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently converted to the use of NG Eagle Limited the total sum of N4,900,000,000.00 (Four Billion Nine Hundred Million Naira only), property of Arik Air Limited.
“That you, CAPT. ROY ILEGBODU as MD/CEO of Arik Air Ltd in receivership, in May, 2024 or thereabout, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did steal the sum of N22,500,000.00 (Twenty-Two Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) by fraudulently converting same to the use of Magashi All Mohammed property of Arik Air Ltd.
“That you, AHMED LAWAL KURU as Managing Director of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and KAMILU ALABA OMOKIDE as Receiver/Manager of Arik Air Ltd. being public officers, on 11th July, 2019 or thereabout in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your offices an arbitrary act, to wit: intentionally and in violation of the discharge of your functions incorporated a Company called NG Eagle Limited, RC Number 1600277 for the purpose of obtaining undue advantage for yourself and or cronies.”
