Court issues warrant of arrest on 2 foreigners over N9.4bn fraud    

The Federal High Court in Lagos has issued warrant of arrest on two foreign businessmen, Nabil Maukarzel of Lebanon, and Halawi Fidaa of France, for refusal to appear in a case of N9.4 billion fraud allegation being prosecuted by the Nigeria Police.

Prosecutors of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) had told the court that Maukarzel and Fidaa, obtained N9,442, 788,578.93 from ECO BANK of Nigeria Limited under false pretences. The police after investigation, commenced the prosecution of the two foreigners on  a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The charge signed by two police prosecutors, Williams Tijanni and S.O. Ayodele, read: “That you NABIL MAUKARZEL ‘M’, HALAWI FIDAA ‘M’ and others now at large sometimes in the year 2014 at Apapa, Lagos within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court of Nigeria conspired among yourselves to commit felony to wit obtaining the sum of N9,441,824,102.14K (Nine Billion, Four hundred and forty-one million, eight hundred and twenty-four thousand, one hundred and two naira and fourteen Kobo Only) from ECO BANK OF NIGERIA LIMITED under the pretense that you are using the said sum to import goods to Nigeria, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

“That you NABIL MAUKARZEL ‘M’, HALAWI FIDAA ‘M’ and others now at large sometimes in the year 2014 at ECO BANK OF NIGERIA LIMITED, plot 21 Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island of Lagos State of Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to defraud fraudulently obtained the total sum of N9.441,824.102.14K (Nine Billion, Four hundred and forty-one million, eight hundred and twenty-four thousand, one hundred and two naira and fourteen Kobo Only) from ECO BANK OF NIGERIA LIMITED under the pretence that you are using the said sum to import goods into Nigeria a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a), (c) & 1 (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section | (3) of the same act.

“That you NABIL MAUKARZEL ‘M’, HALAWT FIDAA ‘M’ and others now at large sometimes in the year 2014 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court steal the total sum of N9,441,824,102.14K (Nine Billion, four hundred and forty-one million, eight hundred and twenty-four thousand, one hundred and two naira and fourteen Kobo Only) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 390 (a) of the Criminal Code Cap C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

However, the two foreigners since the charge was filed in 2021, have resisted appearance in court. The police, therefore, filed a motion exparte, seeking the court to issue warrant of arrest on the foreigners.

The presiding judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, Justice Daniel Osiagor, hearing the motion, issued a warrant for the arrest of Maukarzel and Fidaa by the police. The police, thereafter, declared the Lebanese and Frenchman wanted.