Chappal Energies CEO Remanded Over Alleged N600m SUV TheftWale Igbintade - THISDAYLIVE

The Chief Executive Officer of Chappal Energies, Ufoma Emmanuel, was yesterday arraigned before the Ikeja Special Offences Court, Lagos, over the alleged theft of a Lexus SUV valued at N600 million.

Emmanuel was arraigned by the police on a two-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony and stealing. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Police prosecutor, Musa Usman, told the court that Emmanuel allegedly conspired with others still at large to steal the Lexus SUV, which the charge identified as property of Chappal Energies Offshore Ltd.

According to the prosecution, the alleged offences were committed on January 6 and 12, 2026, in Lagos.

Usman alleged that Emmanuel, who was a director of the company and was on suspension at the time, dishonestly converted the SUV, valued at N600 million, to his personal use.

The prosecutor said the police would call three witnesses to prove the allegations and urged the court to fix a date for trial.

Defence counsel, Mobolaji Kuti, however, sought a short adjournment to enable him move the defendant’s bail application.

Justice Rahman Oshodi subsequently remanded Emmanuel and adjourned the case until October 2 for further proceedings.

Earlier, Justice Oshodi, in a separate ruling, ordered the immediate arraignment of a defendant whose plea had been stalled for more than two months.

The judge said the defendant, who had been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), was eventually produced before the court on September 23 after several failed attempts to arraign him.

Oshodi said the arraignment was initially fixed for July 10, but the DSS failed to produce the defendant. 

He said the matter could not also proceed on September 14, 15 and 16 for the same reason.

According to the judge, the defendant was finally brought to court on September 23, but his arraignment was again stalled after his senior counsel asked the court to defer it pending the determination of a motion filed the previous day.

The prosecution opposed the application, arguing that any objection to the validity of the charge could only be raised after the defendant had entered his plea.

It also said it had not been served with the motion.

The court, however, held that Section 374(2) of the Lagos State Administration of Criminal Justice (Amendment) Law, 2021, was clear on the issue.

“After the plea has been taken, the defendant may raise any objection to the validity of the information or charge at any time before judgment,” the judge held.

He noted the motion had been filed only the previous day and the prosecution had not been served.

The judge said deferring the arraignment would send the defendant “back into custody for an open-ended period”, adding that such a situation would not serve the interests of justice.

Oshodi also relied on the Supreme Court decision in Guzia Mba2 v. F.R.N., in which a challenge to a criminal charge had stalled proceedings for 15 years.

He cited the Supreme Court’s admonition that courts and legal practitioners should adopt a positive and pragmatic approach to ensure that criminal prosecutions are conducted seamlessly and expeditiously.

The judge further noted that the defendant had remained in custody without being called upon to plead.

He said Sections 35(4) and 36(4) of the 1999 Constitution required detention and criminal trials to be conducted within a reasonable time.

“Keeping him on remand for longer without arraignment would not serve the interests of justice,” he said.

Oshodi consequently rejected the application to defer the arraignment and directed the registrar to read the charges to the defendant.

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