On Friday, February 2, 2024, Judge Mojisola Dada of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos, postponed the trial of Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor until March 25, 2024. The two are accused of defrauding the government of N2.2 billion through oil subsidy fraud.
The two defendants and Nasaman Oil Services Limited were re-arrested on Friday, March 24, 2023, by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economical and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on an amended 49-count charge that included conspiracy to obtain money by false pretense in violation of Sections 8 and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, forgery in violation of Section 363 (3)(j) of the Lagos State 2011 Criminal Law, and use of false documents in violation of Section 364 of the Lagos State 2011 Criminal Law.
One of the counts 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 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 Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ltd of British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through MT Liquid Fortune Ltd Ex MT Overseas Lima, which representation you knew to be false.”
Another count states: “On or about April 11, 2011 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo (now at large) and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez (still at large) 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 amount 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 the British Virgin Islands and imported into Nigeria through M
They pleaded “not guilty” to all the charges preferred against them.
Prosecution attorney S.K. Atteh told the court during Friday’s proceedings that one of the witnesses was ill and the other had trouble flying. He, therefore, prayed for an adjournment.
There was no objection by the defence counsel, Kolade Obafemi.
Consequently, the Judge adjourned till March 25 and 26, 2024 for continuation of trial.
At first, the defendants were on trial before Lagos State High Court Judge Adeniyi Onigbanjo, who was seated in Ikeja. However, following Justice Onigbanjo’s withdrawal from the case on health grounds, the case was re-assigned to Justice Dada.
There was no objection by the defence counsel, Kolade Obafemi.
Consequently, 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 sitting in Ikeja. However, following Justice Onigbanjo’s withdrawal from the case on health grounds, the case was re-assigned to Justice Dada.
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