Justice Olubunmi Okunuga of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of one Olubunmi Akintoye, following her failure to appear in court for continuation of trial in a ₦233 million theft case brought against her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The warrant, issued on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, is seen as a move to nip in the bud what prosecutors described as a deliberate attempt by the defendant to frustrate her ongoing trial.
Akintoye, who trades under the name Fola Mart International, was arraigned on May 25, 2022, on a 12-count charge of stealing from Alhaja Bolaji Fowosire and Iceland International Limited, involving several fraudulent conversions running into hundreds of millions of naira.
One of the charges reads: “That you, Olubunmi Akintoye Adeola (Trading under the name and style of Fola Mart International), on or about the 11th October, 2021, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of ₦25,000,000, property of Alhaja Bolaji Fowosire and Iceland International Limited.”
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Another count accuses her of converting ₦30 million on October 12, 2021, belonging to the same complainants.
Akintoye had pleaded not guilty to all counts at her initial arraignment.
At the resumed hearing, EFCC counsel, Ridwan AbdulRasheed, informed the court that the defendant had not been seen since October 15, 2024, urging the court to revoke her bail and order her arrest to prevent further delay.
Granting the prosecution’s request, Justice Okunuga held: “The application is granted as prayed.”
The court’s order, according to observers, underscores its resolve to prevent defendants from abusing bail privileges and stalling justice through deliberate absence.
The case was adjourned till November 17, 2025, for further proceedings.
