Court declares Innoson Motors Chairman wanted

Justice Mojisola Dada of the special offences court sitting in Lagos, today declared the Chairman of
Innoson Motors Nigeria Ltd, Innocent Chukwuma wanted over his failure to make an appearance in
court for his arraignment for the fifth time.
The automobile company chairman is standing trial in a matter between his company and the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Chukwuma had previously failed to make an appearance in court for his arraignment on Jan. 17, Feb.
9, March 14 and April 25.
His failure to appear before the court today for five consecutive times informed the issuance of the
bench warrant for his arrest.
Chukwuma and his company, Innoson Motors Nigeria Ltd., are to be arraigned on a four-count
charge of conspiracy to obtain property by false pretences, obtaining property by false pretence,
stealing and forgery. EFCC alleged that the defendants with intent to defraud; conspired to obtain by
false pretences containers of motorcycle, spare parts and raw materials, a property of Guaranty
Trust Bank (GTB) from Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd, Apapa, Lagos.
They are alleged to have fraudulently induced staff of Mitsui OSK and Maersk Line to deliver to them
via their clearing agents the goods which were imported from China in the name of GTB by falsely
pretending that they were authorised by the bank to clear the goods. EFCC operatives claim that the
defendants in order to facilitate the fraud, forged a bill of lading numbered 598286020 of Maersk Line
Limited and 11007950841 of Mutsui O.S.K Lines by knowingly putting a false GTB stamp and
signature of the bank staff.