Alleged Forgery: Court Orders Arrest Warrant Against Civil Engineer

By Correspondent in Abuja.

An Abuja High Court has issued a warrant of arrest against a civil engineer, Nnaemeka Chukwueze, over alleged forgery of title documents, theft, conspiracy and impersonation.

Justice Samira Umar-Bature made the order following an application by the prosecution counsel, Matthew Onoja, after Chukwueze failed to appear in court.

Our correspondent reports that the amended charge, dated April 8, 2025, was filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who took over the prosecution of the case from the police.

Chukwueze is being prosecuted alongside Samuel Udo-Imeh, Ifeanyi Abaekwueme, Bob Chiedozie Ugu, a private firm, Earth Conscience Limited, and NBC Infrastructure West Africa Limited, on a 12-count charge marked FCT/HC/CR/302/2023.

Although the matter was slated for the arraignment of the defendants, the absence of the 1st and 4th defendants, Udo-Imeh and Chukwueze, stalled the process.

The Counsel to the 1st defendant, Ebere Okonkwo, informed the court that his client had an emergency but was already on his way to court.

In his oral submission, counsel to the 4th defendant, G.P. Ukpong, told the court that Chukwueze was undergoing a medical procedure on his nose.

However, the medical report tendered before the court stated that the 4th defendant was suffering from hypertension.

In response, Onoja urged the court to hold that Chukwueze failed to place sufficient material before it to substantiate his claim.

He pointed out that while the medical report indicated hypertension, counsel had claimed that his client was undergoing a nasal procedure, describing the two submissions as contradictory.

According to him, where a party presents contradictory information before the court, it is not the duty of the court to choose which version to believe.

Onoja therefore urged the court to reject both the medical report and counsel’s oral submission and sought the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Chukwueze for failing to provide sufficient justification for his absence.

In her ruling, Justice Bature agreed with the prosecution and ordered that a warrant of arrest be issued against the 4th defendant to compel his appearance in court.

Meanwhile, the 3rd defendant, Bob Chiedozie Ugu, who is representing himself, applied for an accelerated hearing of the case.

The application was supported by the prosecution and other defence counsel, and the court granted the request, adjourning the matter to May 11, 12, 15 and 19.

The prosecution alleged that the defendants forged title documents, including a Power of Attorney, with the fraudulent intention of converting a property belonging to Nexune Nigeria Limited.

Ugu, an Abia-based legal practitioner and Managing Director of Earth Conscience Limited, is a former Commissioner for Works in Abia State, while Udo-Imeh, who works in the Information Technology and Services sector, is an Abuja-based businessman.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.