The Inspector-General of Police has formally withdrawn the N400 million fraud case against former Anambra South Senator, Andy Uba, and his co-defendant, Benjamin Etu, Very Nigerian reports.
The pair had been accused, alongside one Hajiya Fatima (still at large), of conspiring in 2022 to defraud businessman George Uboh of N400 million under the pretext of securing the position of Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for a willing payer.
According to the initial charge, the alleged act contravened Section 8 and was punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. The Attorney-General of the Federation had authorised the Inspector-General of Police to prosecute the case on July 7.
Despite several court summons, the defendants’ arraignment was repeatedly delayed, prompting the court on September 24 to threaten an arrest warrant against Uba should he fail to appear.
At Thursday’s hearing, police counsel Aminu Abdullahi informed the court that a notice of discontinuance had been filed and served that morning, citing an amicable resolution between both parties.
Abdullahi further disclosed that Uba and Etu had refunded the full N400 million to the complainant. Defence counsel C. F. Odiniru raised no objections to the prosecution’s decision.
In his ruling, Justice Mohammed Umar accepted the withdrawal request, struck out the case, and discharged the defendants from all charges.
