A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has fixed July 15 for the arraignment of the Interim President of the Nigeria Boxing Federation (NBF), Azania Omo-Agege over alleged fraud.
Justice Mohammed Umar fixed the date on Wednesday, after counsel to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Maryam Kalejaiye, sought an adjournment to enable the investigating team produce him in court.
Upon resumed hearing in the matter, neither Omo-Agege nor his lawyer was present in court.
Kalejaiye informed the court that, though the matter was scheduled for Omo-Agege and his co-defendant, Sidali Prescilla Efemana, to take their plea, she said the police investigating team was yet to get in touch with the defendants.
The lawyer, therefore, sought an adjournment to enable the prosecution do the needful and the trial judge, Justice Umar adjourned the matter till July 15 for the defendants to take their plea.
It would be recalled that, Omo-Agege and his co-defendant’s arraignment, on September 29, 2025, could not proceed due to their absence in court.
The arraignment was also stalled on March 20, 2025, before the former trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, because neither of the defendants was in court.
However, Omo-Agege’s lawyer, Prof. J.E.O. Abugu, SAN, was in court.
Omo-Agege and Efemana of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security were billed to take their plea on alleged fraud to the tune of N40.3 million.
The IGP, in the five-count charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/ 75/2025, had named Omo-Agege and Efemana as 1st and 2nd defendants while Daniel Omughelli was listed as being at large.
In the charge filed on February 25, 2025, Omo-Agege, Efemana of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and Daniel Omughelli (now at large) sometime in 2022 were alleged to have conspired amongst themselves to commit the offence.
They were accused of criminal breach of trust, obtaining money under false pretense and issuance of dude cheque contrary to and punishable under Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act.
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