Two years after he jumped bail, the police have rearrested a man, Emmanuel Ifeanyi Uba, for allegedly duping a businessman of N22million.

Uba, who lives in Iyana Iba, Lagos, was first arrested on October 28, 2008 and arraigned in an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge of obtaining N22m from John Uka under false pretences. Uba denied the charges and was granted N500,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

He was released after perfecting the bail bond by producing two of his kinsmen as sureties.

It was learnt that Uba repaid part of the money and attended court sessions from 2008 until 2014 when he disappeared. All efforts by the police to trace him failed.

Yesterday, the police brought him before Mr. B. A. Sonuga of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court following his rearrest in his bedroom where he was hiding.

There was mild drama when Uba, who used a walking stick, fell as he was about entering the dock. He was helped to a chair by court officials.

His counsel, Mrs. C. O. Mbah, told the court he was “seriously ill”.

“He has chronic high blood pressure and other health problems,” she said, “that’s why he has not been coming to court. We have a medical report here from a General Hospital showing his state of health”.

But prosecuting Inspector Stephen Molo disagreed, saying Uba lied to his sureties that the case was over.

He said: “The defendant told his sureties that he had won the case and had even been awarded damages against the complainant. He told them to go home and they believed him.

“He has been evading arrest since 2014. Even his sureties, who are his kinsmen from the same hometown, didn’t know where he was. He left Lagos and told his wife and children not to tell anyone his whereabouts.”

Molo said because of Uba’s behaviour, his sureties have applied to withdraw as his sureties.

Magistrate upheld their request and discharged them as sureties.

The magistrate ordered that Uba be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case till April 24.