A Lagos State High Court has ordered the arrest of the Acting Managing Director of Access Bank, Bolaji Agbede, and three others accused of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, and fraud totaling N1.356 billion, as well as failure to appear in court.
The presiding judge, Justice Ibironke Harrison gave the order following a suit filed against Agbede, Balmoral International Limited, DDSS International Company Limited, and Adejare Adegbenro.
The allegations stemmed from a 2013 incident where the defendants allegedly used MOB Integrated Services’ property as loan security without consent.
The charge sheet, signed by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice, Lagos State, states among the offences allegedly committed by the defendants, to include conspiracy to commit a felony to wit; stealing contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Law, Ch. C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015, with the offence said to have been committed on September 2, 2023.
“Adejare Adegbenro (m), Balmoral International Limited, Access Bank and Bolaji Agbede (m) on or about the 2nd day of September, 2013 at Plot 1261, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, conspired to commit a felony to wit; stealing”, the charge reads.
“Adejare Adegbenro (m), Balmoral International Limited, Access Bank and Bolaji Agbede (m) on or about the 2nd day of September, 2013 at Plot 1261, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, stole the property of MOB Integrated Services at Plot 40b, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, Lagos by using it as a security for loan without his consent and subsequently entering into a consent judgment,” charge 3 states.
“Adejare Adegbenro (m), Balmoral International Limited, Access Bank and Bolaji Agbede (m) and DDSS International Company Limited on or about the 26th day of May, 2019 at Plot 1261, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, attempted to steal the property of MOB Integrated Services at Plot 40b, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, Lagos by offering and granting DDSS International Company Limited a credit facility of N1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) Only,” count 4 reads.
Meanwhile, following the order of the court for the arrest of the Access Bank MD and the three other defendants, the court, in the same vein, scheduled the next hearing for February 24, 2025.