An Edo State High Court sitting in Benin has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Mr. Philip Shauibu, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Etsako federal constituency over his failure to appear in court in the charge brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC.

Trial judge in the matter is Justice Esther Ikponmwen.

Shauibu is facing a six-court charge of false declaration of his income tax clearance in which he had claimed that he was a staff of Zaknote Ventures Nig. Ltd in November, 2006.

The lawmaker is said to have absented himself from the court on two occasions for the commencement of hearing on the matter.

When the matter came up for hearing yesterday, Justice Ikponmwen ordered that Shauibu be brought to the court on January 21, 2016, the day the matter was adjourned to.

In the charge before the court by the ICPC, Shauibu was alleged to have, in July 2010 in Abuja, knowingly made a false statement to officers of the ICPC by stating that he was an employee of Zaknote Ventures Nig. Ltd, from 2003 to 2006.

He was alleged to have made a false statement knowingly to officers of the Board of Internal Revenue, Edo State, contrary to Section 25 (1) (a) and punishable under the same section of the ICPC Act, 2000.

The lawmaker was also alleged to have in November 2006, furnished a false statement to officers of the Board of Internal Revenue, Edo State, stating in the forms he submitted for application for Income Tax Clearance Certificate that he was an employee of Zaknote Ventures Nig. Ltd, which he knew was not true.

He was also alleged to have furnished false information to officers of the Board of Internal Revenue, Edo State, when he applied for his income tax clearance certificate and claimed that the application was made by the management of Zaknote Ventures Nig. Ltd., which was false and misleading.

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