The Lagos High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi has granted an application compelling a judgement debtor, Bamise Ajetunmobi, to appear before it on Thursday, February 2.

In October 2021, Bamise, his wife Elizabeth, and two firms linked to them, Imagine Global Holding Company Ltd and Imagine Global Solutions Ltd, had allegedly defrauded some Nigerian investors of over N18.8bn.

The couple, Bamise and Elizabeth, were accused of fleeing the country afterwards.

In July 2022, the investors obtained a court judgement in their favour, ordering the couple and their companies to pay back their investments with interest.

The whereabouts of the couple remained unknown, but following reports that Bamise was recently arrested in Côte d’Ivoire while trying to board a flight to the UK and detained by the Nigeria Police, counsel to the judgement creditors, Adetunji Adedoyin-Adeniyi, immediately filed a motion ex parte to compel his appearance in court.

Adedoyin-Adeniyi, who filed the ex parte application under the relevant provisions of the Sheriffs and Civil Process Act, asked Justice Toyin Oyekan-Abdullahi to make an order for the Issuance of Judgement Summons to compel Bamise to appear before the court and be examined as to his means to pay back the judgement debt.

Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi granted the application and ordered Bamise to appear before her court on February 2 at 12 noon.

At his appearance, he is to be examined on oath as to his means, following his disobedience to an earlier order of the court made on July 14, 2022 and directing him to pay the Judgement Sum of N15,541,350,000 to the Judgement Creditors.

Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi also compelled the Assistant Inspector General Of Police FCIID, Alagbon, Lagos, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Inspector Aliyu, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos, all their deputies, assistants and all other officers under their command, control and supervision to produce, the judgement debtor, Bamise Ajetunmobi, who is currently in their custody.

In documents put before the court to support the ex parte application, a legal practitioner, Patrick Mgbeoma, in the 1st to 17th Judgement Creditors/Applicants’ lawfirm – AAA Chambers, deposed to an affidavit.

It states that the judgement sum has yet to be fully paid by the Judgement Debtors till date and the 3rd Judgement Debtor, Bamise whose whereabouts was unknown, was recently arrested and detained by the Assistant Inspector General of Police FCIID, Alagbon, Lagos and Inspector Aliyu (IPO), and is currently in their custody for criminal investigation.

He also averred that to date, the 4th Judgement Debtor, Elizabeth, and her children are currently not within the Jurisdiction of the Court as their present location and whereabouts remain unknown with the assets amassed by them.

Bamise, who is currently in the custody of the police at the Force CIID Alagbon, has failed to furnish the Judgement Creditors with details of how he intends to liquidate the judgement sum as granted by the court, despite having funds and assets available at his disposal, Mgbeoma stated.