A Lagos High Court in Igbosere has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha, popularly known as Jay Jay Okocha, for failure to appear severally to answer why he has allegedly failed to pay his income taxes.
Okocha was charged by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice in a three-count charge bordering on failure to furnish return of income.
The prosecutor, Dr. Jide Martins, had on June 6, 2017 filed the charge, adding that the case came up for the first time on October 5, 2017 but the defendant did not appear in court.
However, after several adjournments without the defendant appearing in court when service had been effected on him, the prosecutor urged the court to issue a bench warrant.
Justice Adedayo Akintoye, on January 29 issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the former Super Eagles’ star and adjourned until February 19.
However on February 19, the prosecution had not effected the arrest, the court ordered that on the next adjourned date the order should have been executed.
Akintoye adjourned the case until April 15 for the execution of the bench warrant and further hearing.
Earlier, the prosecutor told the court that the defendant had failed to furnish return of income for tax purposes to the Lagos State internal revenue services.
Martins also said that the defendant had failed to pay his income taxes, adding that the offences contravened Sections 56 (a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No.8, 2006, as well as Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.