Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on February 5, ordered that former senator Andy Uba, his daughter Barrister Crystal Chidinma Uba, and Mr. Benjamin Etu be served their charge sheet via social media and by pasting it at their last known addresses over an alleged N400 million fraud.
This decision followed the court’s approval of the Inspector General of Police’s motion for substituted service after it was demonstrated that the trio—Senator Uba, Crystal Chidinma, and Etu—had been evading service in the criminal case IGP V. Andy Uba, Crystal Chidinma Uba, and Benjamin Etu (IGP V FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024).
Accordingly, Andy Uba, Crystal Chidinma Uba, and Benjamin Etu are deemed served through this publication and must appear in court on the next adjourned date of March 5, 2025, or risk having a warrant of arrest issued against them.
On February 5, SaharaReporters reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja had scheduled March 5 for the arraignment of Andy Uba over the alleged N400 million fraud.
Justice Ekwo fixed the date after granting an ex parte motion filed by M.C. Anthony, counsel for the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), seeking to serve Uba and his co-defendants through substituted means.
However, the court ordered that the defendants be served within seven days.
Uba, along with Crystal Uba and Benjamin Etu, faces a two-count charge in case number FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024, which was filed on October 8, 2024.
According to the charge sheet, the accused persons, along with a certain Hajiya Fatima (who is currently at large), allegedly conspired in 2022 to defraud George Uboh by falsely claiming they could secure the position of Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for anyone willing to pay N400 million.
Uboh had submitted a petition to the IGP on April 5, 2023, claiming to have documentary and audio evidence against the accused.
The prosecution has lined up six witnesses to testify against Uba and his co-defendants.
Meanwhile, during a court session on November 13, the prosecution alleged that the defendants had been evading service of court documents despite being granted administrative bail.
The prosecution further revealed that Uba and others initially secured a fundamental rights enforcement order that prevented their immediate prosecution.
However, following the lifting of that order, they were formally charged.
On November 20, 2024, SaharaReporters reported that Count 1 of the charges accused Andy Uba, Crystal, Etu and one Hajiya Fatima, who is at large, of conspiring amongst themselves to commit the offence sometime in 2022.
Uba and others were accused of obtaining by false pretence and making a presentation to George Uboh that they had perfected ways to ensure the appointment of any interested person who could afford N400 million as the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
According to sources, Uba duped Doris Uboh, a former member of the House of Representatives representing the Ika Federal Constituency of Delta State, of N400 million in 2022, after promising her an opportunity to become the MD of NDDC through then first lady, Aisha Buhari.
Sources privy to the incident told SaharaReporters that Uba’s trial followed a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
“The money was wired from an account used by Uboh to a bureau de change used by Andy Uba to launder money and after the BDC owners were arrested, they confessed that they routinely collected money from Andy Uba through their account and converted to dollars for him,” one of the sources said.
“However, when Andy was arrested after a petition to the Police IG, he got a Federal Capital Territory court judge, Justice S. B. Belgore to grant an order preventing his arrest. But a petition challenging the perpetual order got the case discharged and the order was removed, leading to Andy Uba’s trial.”
SaharaReporters also learnt that Uba’s daughter, Crystal, was arrested while attempting to withdraw part of the money.
“The daughter, Crystal Uba, who recently got married was arrested in the bank when a portion of the money was being cashed,” another source said.
The source also stated that one of the accused persons regarding the fraud, Hajia Fatima, who is close to Aisha Buhari, wife of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, had refunded N50 million out of the N200 million she collected.
“Hajia Fatima, who is close to Aisha Buhari and said to be currently at large, already refunded N50 million out of the N200 million she collected,” the source said.
The source added that Nigerian business mogul Aliko Dangote also reported to the former Inspector General of Police that Uba had used his name to scam someone out of a large sum of money.
“Also, a man reportedly stabbed Andy Uba at the home of the former Police IG because Andy allegedly scammed him out of N2 billion, promising to secure him a top position in Buhari’s government,” the source said.
“There was a court order that cleared the way for his arraignment,” the source added.