Businessman Writes IGP, Seeks Withdrawal of Criminal Suit Against Him
A businessman, Raqeeb Quadri Adeshile, has asked the inspector general of police to withdraw the multiple criminal charges filed against him by the police.
In the petition, Adeshile called for a comprehensive investigation of all the issues that gave rise to the multiple charges against him, which were brought by a business partner, Musa Akinleye, an official of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC).
The petition, titled ‘Request For An Urgent Intervention In Respect of a Petition Against Musa Akinleye and Orbzenergy Limited And Criminal Suit Instituted Against Mr. Raqeeb Quadri Adeshi’ was written by his lawyer, Jedidiah F Akpata.
Specifically, the petitioner drew the IGP’s attention to the two charges filed against him before the FCT High Court and the Lagos High Court, respectively.
According to the petitioner, charge number FCT/CR/260/202 and charge number LD/21904C/2023 were filed against him before the FCT High Court and Lagos High Court bordered on the same allegations.
The petitioner, a maritime professional with many years of experience in the business and operations of the maritime industry, stated that he had been operating a business outfit, although unregistered.
He said that in 2018, he approached his friend, Musa Akinleye, a public officer and staff of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (which was not brought to his attention at the material time), with the offer to use his company name to secure business contracts in the maritime business, especially container terminal contracts.
As a result of the foregoing, he was made a 45 per cent shareholder and director of the company, Orbzenergy Limited.
In furtherance of the business venture, the Petitioner said he was in charge of the day-to-day running of the business in its operational site in Lagos, while Akinleye was the managing director and remains the sole signatory to the accounts operated and maintained by the company.
The petitioner stated that, as a result of alleged poor financial management and other ancillary issues with which he was not comfortable, Akinleye and the other shareholders purportedly removed him as a Director of the company through unlawful means.
He said he was oblivious to his unlawful removal as company director until a petition was filed against him at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) headquarters in Abuja.
He said in the petition he was accused of financial misappropriation, even though he is not a signatory to the company accounts.
The petioner stated that hortly before our client could respond he was arrested at Ibadan and brought to Abuja to answer to a charge filed at the FCT High Court, where he is currently standing trial.
The petition said, “The current matter which has been instituted against our client at the High Court of Lagos State, apart from being one instituted in bad faith by unscrupulous persons who intend to use the Nigeria Police Force to foster their own selfish cause and foist injustice on our client, equally amounts to lack of fair hearing, abuse of Court process and deprivation of constitutional safeguards.