May 27, (THEWILL) – The Lagos State Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, has convicted and sentenced Mamman Nasir Ali, the son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali, and a Sierra Leonean, Christian Taylor, to 14 years imprisonment each, over a N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had in 2012, arraigned Ali and Taylor, alongside an Oil firm, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, and two other suspects, who had been at large (Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul Afeez) on a 49-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, and the use of false documents.
Contending that the offences violated the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006, and the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, the anti-graft agency further accused them of fraudulently obtaining N2.2 billion from the Federal Government under the petroleum subsidy scheme on or about September 9, 2011.
According to the EFCC, the defendants presented forged documents, including a falsified “Gasoline Analysis” report for MT Overseas Limar, purportedly issued by Saybolt Concremat.
Delivering judgement on Tuesday, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the actions of the convicts not only defrauded the government but also undermined the integrity of Nigeria’s oil subsidy programme.
While Justice Dada issued a warrant of arrest on the two suspects (Ogunbambo and Afeez) who had been at large, the court sentenced Ali and Taylor to 14 years imprisonment each.
Justice Dada also ordered the forfeiture of identified assets and accounts linked to the fraud.
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