By Onozure Dania

LAGOS—For failing to appear before an  Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos ,  Magistrate Ola Shonuga has  issued a bench warrant on the Chief Executive Officer of LXG Ocean Global Services Ltd, Clement Enenche,over alleged issuance of First City Monument Bank  dud cheques in favour of ORYX Oil Marketing Company Nigeria Ltd.

Clement Enenche alongside  his company, LXG Ocean Global Services Ltd  were arraigned for allegedly issuing two dud cheques to the tune of N9 million each. The dud cheques were issued to partially offset a debt of N160 million owed the complainant for petroleum products he bought from him between September 2014 and March 2015.

At the resumed  hearing of the case, the prosecutor, DSP Raymond O. Akhaine, told the court that he was surprised that the defendant was absent from court despite the fact that he is on bail and the case was coming up for the first time after his arraignment.

However, the prosecutor urged the court to revoke the bail  that was earlier  granted the defendant and issue a bench warrant against him, for failing to appear before the court.

The defendant’s lawyer, in a bid to oppose the prosecutor’s application, informed the court that his client was rushed to the hospital earlier that morning and that speaking from the bar, he was yet to know the hospital that the defendant was admitted.

Reacting  to the submission of the defendant’s lawyer, the counsel to ORYX Oil Marketing Company Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Gbenga Ajala, told the  court that shortly before the court sat, he overheard the lawyer to the defendant informing the prosecutor that his client was not coming to court without any justifiable reason.

In his short ruling on the application of the prosecutor, Magistrate Shonuga ordered the issuance of a bench warrant on the defendant, and then ordered the lawyer to come with medical reports of his client on the next adjournment date being January 20, 2016.