The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, to issue a warrant for the arrest of Tuoyo Omatsuli, a former Executive Director on Projects at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). This is in connection to his trial for an alleged N3.6 billion fraud.

This was contained in a press statement by the EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale on Thursday.

The statement recalled that Omatsuli, alongside Francis Momoh, Don Parker Properties Limited and Building Associates Limited, were initially standing trial on an alleged case of conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N3,645,000,000 (Three Billion, Six Hundred and Forty-five Million Naira) before retired Justice Saliu Saidu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

It further recalled retired Justice Saidu on November 11, 2020, discharged the first defendant, Omatsuli, from entering a defence having gone through the charges preferred against him as well as the evidence of all the 16 prosecution witnesses from EFCC.

It noted that the EFCC appealed the case before Justice Festus Obande Ogbuinya, who upturned the ruling of the lower court ruling that “the judgement of the lower court dated November 11, 2020 discharging the respondent, Omatsuli, of money laundering charges “is hereby set aside and he shall enter into his defence accordingly on the same counts.”

In the course of the trial, Justice Saidu retired and the matter was subsequently re-assigned to Justice Osiagor.

Justice Osiagor, however, ordered that the defendant be put on notice and the case was adjourned to March 22, 2024 for re-arraignment and trial.