The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a legal practitioner, Nnamdi Awa Kalu, to appear in court on July 9, 2025, to explain the whereabouts of his client, Richard Ironbar Edemadem, who has reportedly jumped bail and failed to appear for trial.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa issued the order on Friday during the proceedings.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting five defendants charged with fraud totalling N36,837,438.20.
The defendants include Richard Ironbar Edemadem, Samuel Okpapi, Nelson Ojovbo, Bamigbade Olushola, and a company, ISD Technology Limited.
The EFCC is prosecuting four persons and a company for allegedly tampering with MTN Communications Nigeria Limited’s Critical Mobile Telecommunications Network System, using the compromised system to send unsolicited messages to subscribers and fraudulently debit their accounts.
The funds were allegedly distributed among the defendants and their companies.
During Friday’s trial, Justice Lewis-Alagoa observed that out of the five defendants listed in the charge before him, only four were present and being tried.
The judge then asked the prosecutor why Edemadem, the first defendant, whose name was repeatedly mentioned in the testimony of the EFCC’s fourth witness, Olamide Sadiq, the lead investigating officer, was not in court.
The prosecutor, Mr. Nnemeka Omewa, informed the court that Edemadem had absconded and that his lawyer, Kalu, had also stopped appearing in court.
Justice Lewis-Alagoa then inquired about whether efforts were made to locate the sureties or enforce the bail bond.
Omewa explained that attempts to trace the sureties had been unsuccessful, as no documentation concerning them could be found in the court file.
Consequently, the judge ordered Kalu to personally appear in court on the next adjourned date to clarify what he knows about his client’s whereabouts.
During the hearing, the EFCC witness, Mr. Olamide Sadiq, continued his testimony, detailing how the defendants, mostly IT experts employed by various telecom service providers, allegedly conspired to manipulate MTN’s telecom system.
According to him, they used unauthorised access to send mass unsolicited messages and illegally surcharge customers, diverting the resulting funds for personal gain.
Following the conclusion of the witness’s evidence, Justice Lewis-Alagoa adjourned the matter until July 9, 2025, for the continuation of the trial and compliance with the summons issued to the lawyer.
The defendants, along with one Sola (still at large), are accused of conspiring to tamper with a critical telecom network system in 2017, in Lagos.
The EFCC accused the defendants of committing the offences between 2017 and 2018.
The commission said the defendants allegedly tampered with the MTN’s critical telecommunications system without authorisation to do by letter of your contract of service.
The defendants were further accused of knowingly taking possession of N36,837,438.20, which they reasonably ought to have known such fund forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act and stealing.
According to the anti-graft agency, the offences committed contravened Sections 27(6b) and 10 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, and 15(2)(d) and (6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
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