On Wednesday, Ismaila Mustapha alias Mompha, a suspected internet fraudster, was the subject of a bench warrant issued by Justice Mojisola Dada of the Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos.
Mompha and his company, Ismalob Global Investment Limited, were accused of laundering N6 billion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on January 12.
After Mompha's bail was cut from N200 million to N25 million on March 28, the court ordered him to turn in his passport.
However, on both of the occasions set aside for his trial, the defendant did not show up in court.
During proceedings on Wednesday, the judge stood down the matter for a while in expectation of the defendant’s arrival, but failed to appear in court again at resumption of court proceedings.
The court should issue an arrest warrant for him, according to the chief attorney for the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo.
The defendant's previous justification for not showing up in court—that he had called COVID-19—was proven to be untrue, according to the judge.
Justice Dada then ordered the defendant's arrest after revoking his bail.
The case was postponed to June 30, 2022, by the judge.
