The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of four men who allegedly defrauded Opay Digital Services Ltd of over N150 million. The defendants, Isah Ladan, Nasiru Umar, Umar Mohammed, and Abubakar Ibrahim, were accused of committing offences bordering on identity theft and impersonation. The court heard that they made false representations as agents of Opay Limited to innocent persons, using their National Identity Cards and sim cards to steal their identities.
The Inspector-General (I-G) of Police had sued the four men on a four-count charge, alleging that they committed the offences between November and December 2025 in Bida, Niger State. The prosecution alleged that the defendants defrauded Opay Digital Services Limited in the sum of N150,538,000. The offence is said to be punishable under Section 14 (1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, and Prevention) Act, 2015 (as amended) in 2024.
The defendants and their lawyer, U.M. Umar, failed to appear in court for trial, prompting the prosecution to make an oral application for their arrest. Justice Salim Ibrahim granted the prayer, invoking Section 394 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. The judge directed the I-G of Police to produce the defendants in court on the next adjourned date.
The judge also expressed concern over the conduct of the defendants' counsel, U.M. Umar, who had earlier stated that Niger State was just about an hour drive to Abuja, yet failed to appear in court. Justice Ibrahim ordered the chief registrar of the court to write to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and other necessary legal bodies regarding the conduct of the defendants' counsel.
The charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/398/2026 was dated and filed on July 8 by John Ijagbemi of the Directorate of Legal Services. The defendants were accused of unlawfully imputing innocent persons' data into the Opay Limited system for the purpose of conferring economic benefits on themselves. The offence is said to be punishable under Section 24 (2)(a)(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention Act, 2015).
When the case was called, neither the defendants nor their lawyer was in court, and no reason was given for their absence. The prosecuting counsel, John Ijagbemi, recalled that on the previous Wednesday, the defendants and their lawyer had stalled the arraignment due to problems with their vehicle.
The court has ordered the defendants' arrest, and the I-G of Police is expected to produce them in court on the next adjourned date. The case has been adjourned, and the defendants will face trial for allegedly defrauding Opay Digital Services Ltd of over N150 million.
Key points
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest of four men for allegedly defrauding Opay Digital Services Ltd of over N150 million.
- The defendants were accused of committing offences bordering on identity theft and impersonation.
- The case has been adjourned, and the defendants will face trial for their alleged roles in the fraud.
