The Lagos High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi has granted an application compelling the police to produce a judgment debtor, Bamise Ajetunmobi, before it on Thursday, February 2.
Bamise, who is now in the custody of the police at the Force CIID Alagbon, was, according to the claimants, believed to have been arrested in Côte d’Ivoire while trying to board a flight to the UK.
He and his wife Elizabeth and two firms linked to them, Imagine Global Holding Company Ltd and Imagine Global Solutions Ltd were in October 2021 accused of defrauding some Nigerian investors to the tune of over N18.8billion.
The couple was accused of fleeing the country afterwards.
In July 2022, the investors obtained a court judgment in their favour, ordering the couple and their companies to pay back N15,541,350,000 with interest in favour of the 1st to 17th judgment creditors
The whereabouts of the couple remained unknown, but following reports of Bamise’s arrest in Côte d’Ivoire and detention by the Nigerian Police, Counsel to the 1st to 17th judgment creditors Adetunji Adedoyin-Adeniyi filed a motion ex parte to compel his appearance in court.
Adedoyin-Adeniyi, who filed the ex parte application under the relevant provisions of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, asked Justice Toyin Oyekan-Abdullahi to make an order for the Issuance of Judgement Summons to compel Bamise to appear before the court and be examined as to his means to pay back the judgment debt.
Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi granted the application and ordered Bamise to appear before her court on February 2 at noon.
At his appearance, he is to be examined on oath as to his means, following his disobedience to an earlier order of the court made on July 14, 2022, and directing him to pay the judgment sum of N15,541,350,000 to the judgment creditors.
Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi also compelled the Assistant Inspector General Of Police FCIID, Alagbon, Lagos, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Inspector Aliyu, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos, all their deputies, assistants and all other officers under their command, control and supervision to produce Ajetunmobi.
In documents put before the court to support the ex parte application, a legal practitioner, Patrick Mgbeoma, in the 1st to 17th Judgment Creditors/Applicants’ law firm – AAA Chambers, deposed to an affidavit.
It states that the judgment sum has yet to be fully paid by the Judgment Debtors till date and the 3rd Judgement Debtor, Bamise whose whereabouts was unknown, was recently arrested and detained by the Assistant Inspector General of Police FCIID, Alagbon, Lagos and Inspector Aliyu (IPO), and is currently in their custody for criminal investigation.
He also averred that the 4th Judgment Debtor, Elizabeth, and her children are currently not within the Jurisdiction of the Court as their present location and whereabouts remain unknown with the assets amassed by them.
Bamise has failed to furnish the Judgment Creditors with details of how he intends to liquidate the judgment sum as granted by the court, despite having funds and assets available at his disposal, Mgbeoma stated.
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