The Attorney-General has brought six charges against Ranesh and two other individuals. The case, identified as FHC/ABJ/CR/101/2021, also includes Dana Group PLC and Dana Steel Limited as the second and third defendants, respectively.
During a hearing on October 10, the AGF’s attorney, Mojisola Okeya, requested the court to issue an arrest warrant for Ranesh due to his absence from the arraignment concerning an alleged N1.3 billion fraud. Judge Egwuatu inquired about Ranesh's absence, prompting his lawyer, Ademola Bello, to explain that Ranesh was out of the country and that the other two defendants are statutory entities for which Ranesh serves as MD. The defense further argued that jurisdictional matters raised in their preliminary objection should be resolved first.
In response to the lawyer's comments, the judge expressed frustration, questioning the respect for the court when the defendants were not present. The lawyer cited section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, urging the court to consider this provision.
Ultimately, Egwuatu ordered that Ranesh be arrested and brought to court on the next scheduled date. He stated, "The first defendant is required to appear before the court, and if he fails to do so, a warrant for his arrest may be issued. Therefore, I hereby issue a warrant for the arrest of the first defendant. He must appear before this court on January 13, 2025, before any objections can be raised."