A Lagos State High Court has ordered the arrest of the acting Managing Director of Access Bank, Bolaji Agbede and three others for alleged property theft.
Justice Ibironke Harrison gave the order following a suite filed against Agbede and three others -Balmoral International Limited, DDSS International Company Limited and Adejare Adegbenro.
The property, located at Plot 40b, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos belongs to a firm owned by Gbolahan Obanikoro, son of a former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
Mrs Bolaji Agbede and the three other defendants were accused of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and fraud, totaling ₦1.356 billion, as well as failing to show up in court.
The allegations stemmed from a 2013 incident where the defendants allegedly used MOB Integrated Services’ property as One Billion Naira (₦1 billion) loan security without consent.
The four defendants were charged with a four-count allegation in a charge sheet signed by the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Ministry of Justice, Lagos State.
It was stated in the charge sheet thus: conspiracy to commit a felony to wit; “Stealing, contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Law, Ch. C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015, with the offence said to have been committed on September 2, 2023.
“Adejare Adegbenro (m), Balmoral International Limited, Access Bank and Bolaji Agbede (f) on or about the 2nd day of September, 2013 at Plot 1261, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, conspired to commit a felony to wit; stealing.
“Adejare Adegbenro (m), Balmoral International Limited, Access Bank and Bolaji Agbede (f) on or about the 2nd day of September, 2013 at Plot 1261, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, stole the property of MOB Integrated Services at Plot 40b, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, Lagos by using it as a security for loan without his [Gbolahan Obanikoro’s] consent and subsequently entering into a consent judgment.
“Adejare Adegbenro (m), Balmoral International Limited, Access Bank and Bolaji Agbede (f) and DDSS International Company Limited on or about the 26th day of May, 2019 at Plot 1261, Adeola Hopewell Street, Victoria Island, Lagos State in the Lagos Judicial Division, attempted to steal the property of MOB Integrated Services at Plot 40b, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, Lagos by offering and granting DDSS International Company Limited a credit facility of ₦1,000,000,000.00 (One Billion Naira) Only.”
Justice Harrison of the Lagos State High Court ordered the arrest of the Access Bank acting Managing Director and the three other defendants.
The court subsequently fixed 24 February, 2025 as the next date for the hearing of the case.
Mrs Bolaji Agbede was appointed the acting Managing Director of Access Bank following the tragic death of the earstwhile CEO, Mr Herbert Wigwe, in an helicopter crash in the US in August, 2024.
