The Managing Director of Imagine Global Solutions Ltd, Bamise Ajetunmobi was brought before the Lagos High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi on Thursday (yesterday) in response to a summons issued by the court.
Before her retirement in February 2023, Justice Toyin Oyekan-Abdullahi had made an order compelling the police to produce in her court, Bamise, a judgment debtor in a suspected Ponzi scheme, so he could explain how the judgement debtors/investors would be paid.
The judge had also made an order summoning the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), in the case, Mr. Aliyu of the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) Alagbon, Lagos, for earlier disobeying a court order to produce Bamise before the court.
Bamise, who is currently in the custody of the FCIID, was said to have been arrested in Côte d’Ivoire while trying to board a flight to the UK.
He and his wife, Elizabeth and two firms linked to them, Imagine Global Holding Company Ltd and Imagine Global Solutions Ltd were in October 2021 sued for defrauding some Nigerian investors to the tune of over N18.8billion.
The couple allegedly fled the country afterwards.
In July 2022, Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi granted judgement in favour of the investors and ordered the couple and their companies to pay back the investment sum of N15,541,350,000 with interest.
The whereabouts of the couple remained unknown but following reports of Bamise’s arrest and detention by the Nigerian Police, counsel for the judgment creditors, Adetunji Adedoyin-Adeniyi filed a motion ex-parte before Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi to compel his appearance in court, so he could explain how the judgement debtors would be paid.
With Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi’s retirement, the case was transferred to the court of Justice Rasul Olukolu.
At the commencement of proceedings on Thursday, the police officers from the FCIID produced the defendant in court.
The case which was slated for hearing was, however, stalled after the judge informed the counsel in court that the case file had been moved to the appeal section for compilation and so it was impracticable for the court to proceed with hearing.
The court has adjourned further proceedings in the matter to May 15.
