MTN Fraud Case Explodes as Accused Vanishes—Court Demands Lawyer’s Whereabouts
The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered a legal practitioner, Nnamdi Awa Kalu, to appear in court on July 9, 2025, to explain the mysterious disappearance of his client, Richard Ironbar Edemadem, who has reportedly jumped bail and vanished without a trace.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Alagoa issued the directive during a dramatic court session on Friday, after it was revealed that Edemadem, the first defendant in a high-profile cybercrime case, had not only failed to appear in court but that his lawyer had also stopped showing up for the trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Edemadem alongside four others—Samuel Okpapi, Nelson Ojovbo, Bamigbade Olushola, and a company, ISD Technology Limited—over allegations of tampering with MTN Nigeria’s critical mobile telecom infrastructure to fraudulently debit subscribers and pocket over ₦36.8 million.
According to the EFCC, the accused exploited unauthorized access to MTN’s network to send mass unsolicited messages and illicitly surcharge customer accounts. The illicit gains were allegedly distributed among the accused persons and their companies between 2017 and 2018.
During Friday’s hearing, Justice Lewis-Alagoa was visibly concerned when it emerged that Edemadem—described as a key figure in the conspiracy—was absent. Prosecuting counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, informed the court that Edemadem had absconded and that no one had heard from his lawyer, Kalu, either.
The judge then asked whether the court had any documentation for Edemadem’s sureties or whether the bail bond had been enforced. Omewa disclosed that efforts to trace the sureties had failed and that the court’s file lacked relevant documents.
Unsatisfied with the situation, Justice Lewis-Alagoa issued a summons, compelling Kalu to appear in person at the next hearing to disclose what he knows about his client’s escape.
Meanwhile, the EFCC’s star witness, Olamide Sadiq, the lead investigator, continued his testimony. He described how the defendants, leveraging their positions as IT specialists, orchestrated a massive breach of MTN’s internal systems to enrich themselves illegally.
Following the witness’s testimony, the court adjourned the matter to July 9, 2025, when both the trial and the inquiry into Kalu’s role—or negligence—will continue.
The charges against the accused include conspiracy, cyber fraud, unlawful interference with a telecoms network, and money laundering—all serious offences under the Cybercrimes Act of 2015 and the Money Laundering Act of 2011 (as amended).
One more suspect, identified only as Sola, remains at large, deepening the intrigue surrounding a case that has drawn national attention for its audacity and complexity.
