The federal government has asked a high court sitting in Abuja to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of Hathiramani Ranesh, managing director of Dana Air.

Mojisola Okeya, counsel to the attorney-general of the federation (AGF), made the oral application on Thursday before Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge. The application followed Ranesh’s absence in court for his arraignment.

The federal government alleged that the managing director has refused to appear for his arraignment in the alleged N1.3 billion fraud.

The AGF had filed a six-count charge against Ranesh and two others. In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021 and filed by Moshood Adeyemi, deputy director of public prosecutions in the office of the AGF and minister of justice, Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Ltd were joined as second and third defendants respectively.

In the first count, Ranesh, the two businesses, and unidentified individuals were accused of committing a crime on the property of the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina between September and December of 2018. They were alleged to have conspired to remove, convert, and sell four units of industrial generators “i.e. three (3) units Ht of 9,000 KVA and 1 unit of 1,000 KVA; all valued at over N450 million, which form part of the Deed of Asset Debenture that were charged as collateral security for a bond issued in your favour, which Deed is still subsisting at all material times”.

In count three, the defendants and others at large were accused of conspiring to fraudulently divert N864 million from House No. 116, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Isolo-Lagos, between April 7 and 8, 2014. The funds were said to be part of Ecobank bond proceeds intended for the resuscitation of production at the Dana Steel Rolling Factory in Katsina and other unapproved purposes.

Count five alleged that the defendants and others conspired to “fraudulently remove and transfer to one Atlantic Shrimpers Account No: 0001633175 with Access Bank and divert the sum of N60,300,000 (Sixty Million Three Hundred Thousand Naira).” The money was also said to be part of the bond proceeds from Ecobank meant for the resuscitation of production at the aforementioned factory and other unapproved uses.

The cumulative amount involved in the charge stands at N1,374,300,000.

When the matter was called on Thursday, Okeya told the court that though the case was scheduled for the arraignment of the defendants, Ranesh was not in court. She then urged the court to issue a bench warrant for Ranesh’s arrest.

However, Bidemi Ademola-Bello, defence lawyer, disagreed with Okeya. Ademola-Bello said they had filed a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and that the prosecution had already been served. Okeya, on her part, objected to taking the preliminary objection on the ground that the defendants ought to be arraigned first before the court could entertain any other application.

In his ruling, Egwuatu asked Ademola-Bello to refer the court to any section of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, that makes provision for his request. The judge also ordered the parties to address the court in the next adjourned date on whether the preliminary objection ought to be taken before arraignment.

He subsequently adjourned the matter until November 4.

A new bill has been proposed in Nigeria that will require individuals using banking, insurance, stock-broking or other financial services to provide a Tax Identification Number (TIN) as a condition to open a new account or operate an existing one.

The bill aims to improve tax compliance and revenue collection. It requires anyone engaged in financial activities to register for tax and obtain a TIN.

Non-residents supplying taxable goods or services to Nigerians, or deriving income from Nigeria, must also register for tax and get a TIN. However, non-residents earning only passive income from Nigerian investments are exempt from registration but must provide relevant information.

The bill empowers the relevant tax authority to automatically register and issue a TIN to individuals who fail to do so themselves. Failure to comply may result in penalties.

The Defence Headquarters clarified on Thursday that it has refrained from taking action against former Niger Delta militant warlord, Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, to avoid accusations of acting “undemocratically.”

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, stated this in Abuja while addressing a recent report concerning Asari-Dokubo’s alleged threat to shoot down a military helicopter that had reportedly flown near his residence.

Speaking to journalists, the DHQ spokesman dismissed Asari-Dokubo’s threat as “laughable,” daring him to engage soldiers in actual combat if he felt confident enough.

Buba remarked, “Now, the comment by an individual that he can shoot down military helicopters is laughable. And I am about to laugh at that. We are in a democracy, and we are professionals. Of course, we cannot just, based on somebody’s comments, begin to take certain actions. They would accuse the military of being undemocratic.

“The military is not the only security force or department in the country. There are other security agencies that have a constitutional role to play in handling such issues.

“I tell you that he doesn’t have that capability, but I will allow the security forces responsible for such matters to take it up. As for us, come to the battlefield, and we’ll take you out. He should come to the battlefield and see whether we can react or not.”

Buba further emphasized that the military’s primary objective remains targeting terrorists across various regions of operations.

“For us, the enemy we fight are the terrorists. Some may choose to call them different names in the different theatres of operations where they exist. In the North-West and North-East, some will say terrorists; some may prefer to call them bandits.

“I tell you, they are all terrorists, and that is what we see. Troops are making significant progress. As I mentioned earlier, we prioritise eliminating terrorist leadership, and we have been doing just that. In the last three quarters, we have taken out over 300 terrorist commanders, not to mention their foot soldiers.

“Our aim is to diminish their fighting capabilities and damage their military capabilities, which we have been successfully doing. As indicated in the brief you received, you can see how many weapons and ammunition we have recovered.”

Buba also disclosed that a prominent terrorist leader in Jigawa State, known as Mai Hijabi, was neutralized in a recent operation conducted during the week.

He reported that 165 terrorists were killed, and 238 individuals were arrested.

“Our operations have destroyed a substantial part of the combat capacity of these terror groups and their leadership. For instance, one of the notorious terrorist commanders in Jigawa State, known as Mai Hijabi, was eliminated from the battlefield during the week. Troops are, therefore, increasingly making significant strides across all theatres of operations.

“During the week under review, troops neutralised 165 terrorists, arrested 238 persons, and rescued 188 kidnapped victims.”

Buba also mentioned the arrest of 35 suspected oil thieves in the South-South region and the prevention of oil theft worth an estimated N688,125,150.00.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed two dugout pits, 58 boats, and 39 storage tanks. Other items recovered include 13 cooking ovens, 35 drums, one motorcycle, one tricycle, four speed boats, 13 vehicles, and 65 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 789,200 litres of stolen crude oil and 64,950 litres of illegally refined AGO.”

Buba went on to say that troops also recovered 153 assorted weapons and 2,182 rounds of ammunition.

The recovered items include 81 AK-47 rifles, 23 fabricated rifles, 27 Dane guns, 13 pump-action guns, five locally-made pistols, three revolver pistols, 30 AK-47 magazines, and one bayonet.

Other seized materials included, “1,561 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 278 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 70 rounds of 50mm ammunition, 72 rounds of 9mm ammunition, 87 live cartridges, one Baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 21 motorcycles, 45 mobile phones, and the sum of N64,100.00, among other items.”