Lagos high court issues bench warrant for the arrest of former Super Eagles skipper Jay Jay Okocha

FORMER Super Eagles captain Augustine Okocha popularly known as Jay Jay is facing the prospect of imminent arrest after a Lagos high court issued a bench warrant against him over his refusal to appear to face tax evasion charges.

On Tuesday this week, Okocha, 45, failed to appear before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere again following an adjournment to answer charges as why he failed to pay his income taxes. Subsequently, Judge Adedayo Akintoye  issued the warrant for the arrest, having already adjourned the case when it was first heard on January 29.

He then instructed the prosecution to execute the warrant and effect the arrest before adjourning the case until April 15. Okocha is facing a three-count charge instituted by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice bordering on his failure to furnish his income returns and the non-payment of tax.

In June last year, the state filed the charges through its prosecutor, Jide Martins and the suit was heard four months later. According to the prosecutor, Mr Okocha had failed to furnish his income returns for tax purposes to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service.

Mr Martins also said that the defendant had failed to pay his income taxes. He said the offences contravened Sections 56 (a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No. 8, 2006 and Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.