Following a warrant of arrest issued by the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Garki, Abuja, the Nigerian Police have arrested Joseph Erika.
Erika, who is the Director of Investigation and Prosecution at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), was arrested alongside one Boniface Agwu.
Other defendants in the matter are currently at large.
The duo are defendants in a suit filed by the Federal Government on charges of alleged criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, and forgery.
Justice Suleiman Belgore of the FCT High Court, Garki, had on May 27 issued a bench warrant for the defendants to appear in court for arraignment on a 9-count charge bordering on alleged land grabbing.
At the resumed trial, the prosecutor, David Kaswe, told the court that the defendants were on administrative bail and had been duly informed of the charges against them. He added that all efforts to bring them to court had been unsuccessful.
At the next adjourned date, June 4, counsel for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 9th defendants, C.S. Ekeocha and E.E. Apex, promised to produce the defendants for arraignment.
Justice Belgore, however, restated his earlier order for the arrest of the defendants despite the assurance given by some of their counsels.
After four consecutive adjournments, the court has now fixed October 30 for arraignment.
Other defendants include Ikechukwu Kanu, Donate Electrical Company Limited, Super Structure Limited, Weatherfield Engineering, Marin Service Limited, Asher Information Service Limited, Prince Isaac Omoluwa, Nwaimoneye Augustine Onyisi, Sarajo Aliyu, and Ogbole Michael.
The defendants are alleged to have unlawfully entered Plots 461–470 and 486–497, belonging to Ethan Ventures, and erected structures with the intent to defraud the company.
According to the prosecution, the defendants fraudulently obtained a consent judgment in suit number FCT/HC/CV/240/2018, which purportedly gave the title of Plot 1406 (comprising Plots 461–470 and 486–496), Sabon Lugbe East Layout, Abuja, to Super Structure Limited.