The Nigeria Police Force has withdrawn the ₦1.3 billion fraud charges filed against Gbolahan Obanikoro, son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, along with four other defendants.
The withdrawal was formally communicated to the Federal High Court in Lagos through a Notice of Withdrawal submitted under Section 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. The document, dated February 4, 2025, was signed by Chief Superintendent of Police Justin Enang. However, it did not specify the reason for the decision to drop the case.
The notice simply stated: “Take notice that the prosecution hereby withdraws the above-mentioned charge against the defendants herein.”
The defendants; Adejare Adegbenro (51), Balmoral International Limited, M.O.B. Integrated Limited, and DDSS International Company Limited had been facing five charges, including conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, fraudulent misrepresentation, and financial fraud.
According to the police, the accused allegedly conspired between May and September 2013 to fraudulently obtain ₦1,356,057,330.43 from Access Bank Plc (formerly Diamond Bank). They reportedly misrepresented themselves to bank officials, claiming they needed the funds to finance the importation of brand-new cars from Dubai for resale in Nigeria.
Additionally, the police alleged that the defendants knowingly converted, transferred, or retained the money, despite being aware that it was proceeds of an unlawful activity. The charge also accused them of diverting ₦1 billion of the bank’s funds for personal use.
Initially, the defendants were set to be arraigned before Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on January 26, 2025, but they failed to appear in court. In response, the prosecution applied for a bench warrant, which was contested by Joshua Abel, counsel for the fourth defendant, M.O.B. Integrated Limited. The court subsequently rescheduled the arraignment for February 27, 2025.
Meanwhile, sources revealed that the case could be officially struck out as early as today (Friday) following the prosecution’s decision to discontinue the charges.