An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday ordered the re-arraignment of a businessman Prince Benjamin Apugo and others facing allegations of defrauding the management of National Arts Theatre, Lagos of N467,737,014.

The order was made following an application by the prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), E. Pereagbe.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo ordered Apugo’s re-arraignment following an amended information in charge no. ID/949C/2014 which emanated from a petition titled “Abandonment of Contract for the Fencing, Construction of Five Gates and Sand-Filling at the National Theatre after Payment”

The court ordered that the defendant be re-arraigned alongside one Yusuf Ahmed Atai and their companies, Bencap Nigeria Limited and Technoexportstroy Nigeria Limited respectively and others still at large.

During resumed proceedings yesterday, Pereagbe drew the attention of the court to the fact that the commission has amended the charges against all the defendants and requested that they be allowed to take a new plea.

“I hereby apply that the bail granted to all the defendants be revoked in light of the amended charges to enable the defendants to take a new plea”.

Justice Taiwo granted the request of the EFCC prosecutor.

”It is hereby ordered that all defendant be produced for re-arraignment on the amended charges. All defendants must be produced by the EFCC for arraignment’, she said

The amended charge sheet stated: “That you, Prince Benjamin Apugo, Yusuf Ahmed Atai, Bencap Nigeria Limited and Technoexportstroy Nigeria Limited, Eng. Todor Petkow (at large), Brown Davies (at large), Bud Design Nig. Limited, on or about the 10th of September, 2009, at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division son of the High Court of Lagos State did conspire to commit an offence, to wit: stealing the sum of N99,000,000 property of National Theatre

Prince Benjamin Apugo, Yusuf Ahmed Atai, Bencap Nigeria Limited and Technoexportstroy Nigeria Limited, Engr. Todor Petkow (at large), Brown Davies (at large), Bud Design Nig. Limited, on or about the 16th of October, 2009, at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division fraudulently converted to your own use the sum of N40,460,556.78 property of National Theatre

Justice Taiwo adjourned the matter for re-arraignment until April 30.