Mrs. Crystal Chidinma Uba, daughter of former Senator Andy Uba, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, requesting the removal of her name from a fraud case involving her father and other co-defendants.
Crystal, through her legal representatives at Falana and Falana’s Chambers, insists that she has no connection to the alleged N400 million fraud and has never had any dealings with the complainant. In a letter dated February 11, 2025, her lawyers stated that her inclusion in the case has caused significant damage to her reputation.
The fraud case, IGP v. Andy Uba, Crystal Chidinma Uba, and Benjamin Etu (FHC/ABJ/CR/538/2024), involves allegations that Uba and his associates defrauded former lawmaker Doris Uboh and George Uboh by promising to secure a Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) appointment through Aisha Buhari, wife of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja recently ordered that Uba, his daughter, and Mr. Benjamin Etu be served their charge sheet via substituted service after they allegedly evaded official court summons. The case is set for arraignment on March 5, 2025.
According to the charge sheet, Uba and his co-defendants, along with a certain Hajiya Fatima (currently at large), conspired in 2022 to defraud George Uboh by falsely claiming they could secure the NDDC leadership role for N400 million.
Crystal Uba, however, denies any involvement, stating that the only link to the case is that her father transferred funds to her via a company called Yas Oil in July 2022. Her lawyers emphasized that she had no moral or legal obligation to question the source of money sent by her father.
In the petition to the IGP, her legal counsel, Taiwo E. Olawanle, wrote:
“To our client’s utmost bewilderment, she began receiving calls from family members, friends, and associates who saw reports falsely linking her to fraud. This has caused her great reputational damage.”
The petition further argues that no prima facie case has been established against Crystal and requests that her name be struck out from the charge.
As the legal proceedings continue, the prosecution has lined up six witnesses to testify against the defendants. Meanwhile, Uba and his associates are accused of attempting to delay the case by evading court summons and securing a previous fundamental rights enforcement order that temporarily halted prosecution.
The trial is expected to shed more light on the allegations, with the next hearing scheduled for March 5.
