Two oil marketers, Saminu Rabiu and Jubril Rowaye were on Tuesday docked by Federal Government for allegedly defrauding the nation to the tune of N1.5 billion under the fuel subsidy scheme.
Misters Rabiu and Rowaye were arraigned before an Abuja High court along with their two oil companies – Alminiur Resources Ltd and Birla Energy Ltd respectively according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were used to obtain the money under false pretences.
The accused persons however could not take their plead as one of the suspects, Mr Rabiu, who claimed to be partially deaf could not hear or understand the proceedings in the court when the 17 criminal charges were to be read to them.
His counsel, Blessings Omoaghe had told Justice Adebukola Banjoko that the accused person had problem of hearing properly hence he could not get legal representation on time.
The lawyer pleaded with the court to give the accused person few days to get medical attention or in the alternative to get expert that would interpret court proceedings to him.
Counsel to the Federal Government, Sylvester Tahir corroborated the position that the accused was unable to hear properly.
He said that it usually takes a little or big shout at times before the accused person could pick up.
Justice Banjoko who was taken aback by the plight of the accused person adjourned the case till October 17 and ordered that the accused persons remain in the EFCC custody pending the time their plea would be taken.
The judge also ordered that medical attention must be provided for the accused person before the adjourned date so that the accused would not remain perpetually in custody.
The two accused persons alleged conspired and fraudulently obtained N1.5 billion from the petrol support fund on the false claim of importing ten thousand metric tons of fuel in to the country.
Eight granted bail
The eight individuals arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Friday before the Lagos High Court in Ikeja for their alleged complicity in the petrol subsidy fraud have been granted bail.
Justice Lateefah Okunnu granted bail to two of the oil marketers – Aro Samuel Bamidele and Abiodun Kayode Bankole, who were arraigned before her on an eighteen count of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and forgery bail, in the sum of N100 million each with three sureties in like sum.
The judge also ordered that the sureties must swear to an affidavit of means indicating their financial details and show that they can pay the bail bond if the accused persons jump bail.
She further held that the sureties, must be resident in Lagos and two of them must have landed property in the state while the third must be a Director in a public or private registered company operating in Nigeria and they must all show evidence of tax payment for three years preceding the year of trial.
The court also directed that an official of EFCC shall within 72 hours of submission verify all particulars and thereafter swear an affidavit to this while the court registrar must also verify all particulars
According to the judge the accused persons must not travel out of the country without the court’s permission and must deposit their international passport and report at the EFCC office at a specified date and time once every month throughout the duration of the trial.
Justice Okunnu granted the accused persons bail after listening to the arguments of the defence counsel, Anthony Idigbe, who urged the court to grant his clients bail in liberal terms despite strong oppositions by the counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, who prayed the court to impose stringent conditions to ensure that the defendants always appear in court for their trial.
In a similar development, the second judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru before whom the other defendants were arraigned granted three of the marketers – Ifeanyi Anosike, Emeka Chukwu and Ngozi Ikeoma bail in the sum of N75 million with two sureties in like sum.
They were arraigned on an eight count of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and forgery.
Justice Abiru also ordered that the sureties must have landed properties in Lagos and they must be gainfully employed.
In addition, the sureties were ordered to show evidence of tax payment for three years and all documents must be verified by an EFCC operative while their international passports must be deposited with the court.
While in another case also before him, the judge granted bail to Adamu Aliyu Maula, George Ogbonna and Emmanuel Morah, who are also facing eight charges, in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.
He further added that the sureties must be resident in Lagos, must show evidence for tax payment for three years and must have landed property not less than 50 million naira in value.
All the accused persons are accused of having pretended to have imported over various thousands litres of fuel which they never did and benefiting from the subsidy support fund to the tune of almost N4 billion.