An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday sentenced Mamman Ali, son of a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali, and his associate, Christian Taylor, to 14 years in prison each over their involvement in a N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the duo alongside their company, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, on an amended 57-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, and the use of false documents. Despite pleading not guilty, the court found them culpable after a protracted trial.
Delivering judgment, Justice Mojisola Dada held that the prosecution, led by EFCC counsel Mr Seiduh Atteh, presented compelling evidence that proved the defendants’ guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The court found that the convicts fraudulently obtained N1.9 billion from the Federal Government in 2011, falsely claiming it was a subsidy for importing over 20 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), purportedly purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd of the British Virgin Islands.
Justice Dada sentenced each convict to 14 years on all counts and ordered the forfeiture of assets and accounts linked to the fraud. She also issued arrest warrants for two suspects still at large, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdulafeez. The case, which began before retired Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, highlights ongoing efforts to clamp down on abuse of Nigeria’s oil subsidy regime.