Honeywell Group Chairman, Oba Otudeko, fails to appear for arraignment in Court

The Chairman of Honeywell Group, Oba Otudeko, was absent from the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Monday, January 20, 2025, where he was scheduled for arraignment on charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

 Otudeko was set to appear alongside several other key figures, including Olabisi Onasanya, the former Managing Director of First Bank Plc, Soji Akintayo, a former board member of Honeywell, and Anchorage Leisure Limited, a company involved in the case.

The four individuals were set to face a 13-count charge concerning alleged fraudulent activities involving a sum of N12.3 billion, specifically related to obtaining money by false pretenses.

At the start of the proceedings, Otudeko’s counsel, Bode Olanipekun, SAN, informed the court that his client had not received the charge sheet. This claim was made despite widespread media reports on January 17, 2025, indicating that the arraignment was scheduled for Monday.

On the other hand, Olumide Fusika, SAN, representing the second defendant, confirmed his presence in court and stated that he had already accessed a copy of the charge, which he printed from an online source.

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Similarly, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, appeared for the third defendant, while Adeogun Philips, SAN, represented the fourth defendant in the case.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, who presided over the case, expressed confusion over why all the defence counsels were present in court if they claimed that their clients had not been served.

In response, Olanipekun reiterated that despite media coverage, his client had not received formal service of the charge.

Lead prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that the prosecution had made several attempts to serve the defendants but had been unsuccessful. As a result, he requested the court to grant a motion for substituted service, which would allow the charge to be served at the defendants’ last known addresses. This request was granted by Justice Aneke.

Fusika then informed the court that he was willing to undertake the responsibility of serving the charge to his client, having already printed a copy. Following the court’s instruction, the prosecutor handed Fusika the charge sheet in the presence of the court.

In light of these developments, the court adjourned the case until February 13, 2025, for the formal arraignment of the defendants.