Businessman Cletus Ibeto Faces Arrest as Court Orders Detention for Alleged N4.8 Billion Fraud

Chairman of Ibeto Energy Development Company, Cletus Ibeto, has been ordered to be arrested by Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. This order came after the defendant allegedly refused to appear in court for his fraud trial. The motion for the arrest warrant was presented by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who informed the court that the defendant had consistently failed to show up despite receiving repeated hearing notices.

The EFCC had filed charges against Cletus Ibeto and his companies, Ibeto Energy Development Company and Odoh Holdings Ltd, in connection with an alleged N4.8 billion fraud. The charges include conspiracy, fraud, forgery, and fraudulent use of documents.

The defendant's arraignment had been delayed on September 28 and October 5 due to his absence from court, although he was represented by his lawyers. On two occasions, his lawyer, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), claimed that his client was unable to attend due to illness but promised to produce him at a later date.

However, on the latest court appearance, another counsel, Daniel Awosika (SAN), represented the defendant and informed the court of his illness. This led Jacobs to request a bench warrant for the defendant's arrest, asserting that the defendant was in Lagos and could have been apprehended by the commission if the court had granted the necessary order.

Justice Ijelu ruled that the defense counsel did not provide compelling reasons to grant an adjournment and emphasized that the court's purpose is to dispense justice, not to tolerate frivolous delays. The judge noted that previous senior counsel had made promises regarding the defendant's appearance.

Consequently, the court issued a bench warrant for the defendant's arrest and scheduled the arraignment for November 15.