Trial of Mamman Nasir Ali, the son of the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ahmadu Ali, over an alleged N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud before another trial judge has suffered a setback, when a prosecution witness did not show up in court due to ill health.
EFCC drags Mamman Nasir Ali, others before Dada
This was the outcome of court proceedings on Friday, February 2, 2024, when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC Prosecution counsel, S.K. Atteh, informed the Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, that one of the witnesses was indisposed.
The commission’s lawyer also stated that another witness had flight issues.
Mamman Nasir Ali trial, March 25
Subsequently, Atteh, prayed for an adjournment till March 25, 2024, for further hearing in the trial of both Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, who are facing trial over an alleged N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.
However, the defence counsel, Kolade Obafemi did not object to the request.
The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, had, on Friday, March 24, 2023, re-arraigned the two defendants alongside Nasaman Oil Services Limited on an amended 49-count charge bordering on conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence contrary to Section 8 and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, forgery contrary to Section 363 (3)(j) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011; and use of false documents contrary to Section 364 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
Mamman Nasir Ali N2.2bn allegation
Count one reads: “Nasaman Oil Services Limited, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large), on or about the 9th day of November 2011 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud ,conspired to obtain the sum of N749,991,273.36 (Seven Hundred and Forty-nine Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-one Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-three Naira Thirty-six Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum of N749,991,273.36 represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Limited of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Limited of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Limited, Ex MT Overseas Lima, which representation you knew to be false.”
Another count reads: “Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large),on or about the 11th day of April 2011 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,480,074,125.61 (One Billion Four Hundred and Eighty Million Seventy-four Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-five Naira Sixty-one Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria by claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 20,492,982.50 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS),which Nasaman Oil Services Ltd purported to have purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ex Mt. Hellenic Blue and Ex MT. Milleura, which representation you knew to be false.”
The defendants pleaded denied all the charges preferred against them.
Thereafter, the judge adjourned till March 25 and 26, 2024 for continuation of trial.
The defendants were initially standing trial before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja. However, following Justice Onigbanjo’s withdrawal from the case on health grounds, the case was re-assigned to Justice Dada.
