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Court okays EFCC’s prosecution of £2.6b refinery fraud case
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The Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a no-case application filed by three directors of an oil firm, Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited, who are on trial over an alleged £2.6 billion fraud.
Justice Mohammed Liman, in a virtual ruling, held that the prosecution made out a prima facie case against the company and its directors, which requires them to enter a defence.
The judge, however, held that the company’s financial consultant, Abayomi Kukoyi, has no case to answer, as his involvement was in a professional capacity.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Kingsley Okpala, Chidi Okpalaeze and Emmanuel Okpalaeze on allegations of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, attempt to steal and forgery.
The anti-graft agency claimed that the defendants fraudulently procured a cheque from a foreign bank for £2.556 billion under the pretext that it was meant to construct three petrochemical refinery complexes in Nigeria.
They were also alleged to have, sometime in April 2007, forged a statement of account in the name of Goldmatic Limited, which was used to obtain £2,159,221,313.54 billion.
The alleged offences contravene sections 1(2), 1(2)(a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act of 1990 and sections 509, 467(2)(I) and 468 of the Criminal Code Act, 2004.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Opposing the no-case submission, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), maintained that the prosecution established a prima facie case of fraud against the defendants.
He argued that all investigations by Union Bank, Central Bank, Bankers’ Committee and the EFCC confirmed that the defendants perpetrated the acts.
Jacobs said: “We have proved the ingredients of those offences beyond any reasonable doubt, and each defendant should be invited to present their defence to the charge if they have any.
“The defendants knew the truth but are insisting that the Federal Government should pay them £2.1 billion. It is our common inheritance that they want to take away.
“This is a clear case of fraud, and no person with heaven in mind should pursue this case or assist anyone to do so.”
The trial of Petro Union and its directors is expected to be adjudicated by another judge as Justice Liman has been elevated to the Court of Appeal.
News
Teenage girl allegedly stabbed parents to de@th, stabbed family dog, sent crime scene photos to friends
A 15-year-old girl from Groningen in the Netherlands was arrested after her parents, Johan and Mathilda, both 53, were found f@tally stabbed last Thursday, June 18, Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad reported.
The family’s pet golden retriever also suffered stab wounds in the rampage, the Sun reported.
The dog’s condition is unclear.
The girl took images of her slain parents and then shared the disturbing photos with her friends on WhatsApp after the bloody attack, the Telegraaf reported.
“You could see both of her parents lying on the ground with their eyes open. Her father was lying on the floor, and her mother was on the bed. There was blood visible and a knife,” one student told the outlet in Dutch.
Local police declined to comment further on the images, but encouraged people to never distribute such images online and report them to the police, the reports said.
The girl reportedly struggled with her identity and often pretended to be a dog, crawling around and barking on all fours with other friends in school corridors.
“She wore a tail, dog ears, and gloves,” another classmate told the outlet. “And sometimes she would make barking sounds.”
Johan and Mathilda’s relatives said in a statement obtained by Algemeen Dagblad that they “can hardly comprehend” the murd£rs.
‘We hope that everyone understands that we are deeply affected by the tragic events surrounding the passing of Johan and Mathilda from Meerstad,” family and friends said in a statement through an aid organization.
“But the support and sympathy we have received from many do us good and are heartwarming.”
An investigation into the slayings remains ongoing.
News
OGTV broadcaster: Police recover stolen Lexus RX300 as CP vows “no stone unturned” in murder probe
Ogun State Police Command says it has recovered the Lexus RX300 stolen from the home of slain ex-OGTV broadcaster Mrs Kitan Oyesiku and her security guard in Iyana Agodo Village, Owode-Egba.
The recovery happened during night operations, the command confirmed Monday.
—CP walks the scene himself—
Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni visited the crime scene for an on-the-spot assessment. He inspected the premises and got briefings from detectives handling the case.
“CP Ojajuni reiterated the Command’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensuring that those responsible are identified, apprehended, and brought to justice,” Police PPRO Oluseyi Babaseyi said in a statement.
The visit, according to police, was to evaluate progress in the investigation into the double murder that has rattled the Owode-Egba community.
—What happened that night—
PUNCH Online had reported that a resident raised the alarm over suspicious movements around Oyesiku’s residence. When operatives arrived, they found signs of forced entry.
Inside, the security guard was found dead at his post. Oyesiku’s body was later discovered inside the apartment. Her Lexus RX300 was missing.
Police now say the vehicle has been secured and will serve as key evidence. “It is worthy of note that the vehicle earlier reported missing from the residence, a Lexus RX300, has been recovered by police operatives during the night hours,” Babaseyi confirmed.
—“Intensive investigation ongoing”–
Ojajuni commiserated with Oyesiku’s family and assured Ogun residents that “all available resources are being deployed to track down the perpetrators.”
For now, no arrests have been announced. But with the car recovered and the CP personally monitoring the case, police say they’re closing in.
Oyesiku, a retired broadcaster with Ogun State Television, was remembered by colleagues as a calm voice on air. Her death, alongside her guard’s, has renewed calls for better security for elderly residents living alone in semi-urban areas. [The Punch report rewritten]
News
Tinubu set to Flag-Off Construction of Service Carriageways of the Southern Parkway, from Arterial Road S20 (Oladipo Diya way) to Ring Road II, today
President Tinubu Will Flag-Off Construction of Service Carriageways of the Southern Parkway, from Arterial Road S20 (Oladipo Diya way) to Ring Road II and Collector Road CO1 from Nile University area to Ring Road III (Extension of Body of Benchers road) Today
#FCTRenewedHope
#FCTProjectsCommissioning
Teenage girl allegedly stabbed parents to de@th, stabbed family dog, sent crime scene photos to friends
SEE Dollar to Naira exchange rate today, June 23, 2026
OGTV broadcaster: Police recover stolen Lexus RX300 as CP vows “no stone unturned” in murder probe
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