Two women jailed 3 years for illegal bunkering in Delta

Justice Ibrahim Buba of a Federal High Court sitting in Asaba, Delta State, has sentenced two women, Helen Itemba and Aladini Money, to three years imprisonment for illegal dealings in petroleum products.

The convicts, who were prosecuted by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, were found guilty on the two count charges preferred against them and convicted accordingly. The court sentenced them to a three-year jail term on each count with an option of N300, 000 fine.

The convicts illegally conveyed 136 plastic drums of petroleum products in a truck at Egbidi, Isoko Local Government Area of Delta State, in 2009 without a licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap. M17, laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2007 and punishable under section 1(17) of the same Act.

They were arrested in May, 2009 by operatives of Delta State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, along with the truck conveying 136 plastic drums of petroleum products driven by one John Ufo and his co-travellers.

They were handed over to EFCC for investigation and prosecution.

N4.4 billion Fuel Subsidy Scam: EFCC Re-arraigns Ahmadu Ali’s Son, Others

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Mamman Nasir Ali, the son of the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ahmadu Ali and three others before an Ikeja High Court over an alleged N4.4 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

The defendants were re-arraigned before Jusice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on a 13-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, forgery and the use of false documents.

One of the defendants, Abdulazeez Afis is said to still be at large. Others arraigned alongside Ali were Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Nasaman Oil Services.

EFCC had initially arraigned Ali alongside Christian Taylor and Nasaman Oil Services on July 26 for an alleged N2.2 billion fuel subsidy fraud before amending the charge which led to their re-arraignment.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges as Justice Onigbanjo ordered that Ali and Taylor should continue to enjoy the N20 million bail earlier granted them by the court on July 26 when they were first arraigned.

Fresh Subsidy scam: EFCC re-arraigns, Arisekola’s son, others

For the third time, Abdulahi, the son of the Ibadan based business tycoon,  Alhaji Abdulazeez  Alao Arisekola has been arraigned alongside four others in a fresh six-count N1.1 billion fuel subsidy scam.

Abdulahi was earlier arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru as well as Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo on a nine count charge for subsidy fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in July, 2012.

In this fresh six-count N1.1 billion theft charge brought against Alao,  he was accused alongside Opeyemi Ajuyah, Olanrewaju Olalusi and two companies; Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the state  High Court, Ikeja. The defendants were arraigned on a six count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, forgery and uttering of  documents.

They were said to have conspired amongst themselves on February 14, 2011 to obtain the sum of N1,110,049,444.35  from the Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to them under the Petroleum Support Fund, PSF, for the importation into Nigeria of 15,206.733 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), This according to EFCC is an offence contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

They all pleaded not guilty to the offences.  However, the court adjourned the case till  October 19, 2012 for hearing.

Fuel Subsidy Scam: EFCC Arraigns 13 Oil Marketers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned eight more directors of oil marketing companies and five oil-marketing and trading firms before the Lagos High Court in Ikeja, for fuel subsidy fraud. Six directors and four companies were arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru on eight-count charges bordering on uttering, obtaining and falsifying documents. Two directors and an oil marketing firm were arraigned before Justice Lateefa Okunnu on 18-count charge bordering on uttering, obtaining and falsifying documents.

The directors and the companies arraigned before Justice Abiru separately in batches were Anosyke Group of Companies Ltd, Ifeanyi Anosike, Dell Energy Limited, Emeka Chukwu, Ngozi Ekeoma, Downstream Energy Sources Ltd, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, Rocky Energy Ltd, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah, being the first batch. The EFCC accused them of fraudulently obtaining N1,537,278,880.82 from the federal government by falsely representing that the said sum represented subsidy accruing from the importation of 15,000 Metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit.

Similarly, also arraigned before Justice Abiru on an eight count charge for the second batch, were Downstream Energy Sources Limited, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Maula, Rocky Energy Limited, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah. They were also accused of fraudulently obtaining N789,648,329.25 from the federal government by falsely representing that the said sum represented subsidy accruing from the importation of 14,273,0227 litres of Premium Motor Spirit.

Subsidy Scam: Three Oil marketers declared wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have declared three oil marketers who are involved in the fuel subsidy scam wanted. They are Abdul Afeez Olarenwaju Olabisi of Fargo Petroleum and Gas Limited, Abubakar Peters Ali Jeldi, managing director of Nadabo Energy Limited and Ikechukwu Onuabuchi Nworgu of Star Inspection Services Nigeria Limited.

According to the acting head of media and publicity of the commission, Wilson Uwajuren, they were declared wanted by the commission for offences bordering on Criminal Conspiracy, Forgery, Obtaining Money by False Pretenses and Money Laundering running into several billions of naira.

The statement described the trio as “Olabisi, 31, hails from Kwara State and speaks Yoruba, Hausa and English languages fluently. His last known address is Fargo Petroleum and Gas Limited”.

“Jeldi, 34, is of the Igala stock from Kogi state, North Central Nigeria. He speaks his native Igala, Hausa and English languages fluently.  His last known address are 4B Louis Solomon Close, Victoria Island, Lagos and 15 Ogbunike Street , Lekki, Lagos”.

“Nworgu, 46, hails from Abia State . He speaks Igbo and English fluently. His last known address is Star Inspection Services Nigeria Limited, 4A, Lander Close, Off Liverpool Road, Apapa – Lagos