2 Businessmen Arraigned For N3m, Forging NNPC’s Documents
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, arraigned two businessmen, Epebinu Omoniyi and Adekanbi Adedayo before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for allegedly forging some Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) documents and defrauding a business partner of N3million.
Two men and their companies, Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd and First Hallmark Energy Ltd were arraigned before the court on a eight-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences and forgery by the EFCC.
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
According to the prosecution, led by Sunday Owede, the defendants committed the offences in 2014 in Lagos alongside Titus Adegoke and Demola Omisore, who are both at large.
Owede also claimed that, “On Oct. 22, 2014, the defendants forged a document titled ‘Letter of Authority To Sell Bonny Light Crude Oil and To Represent the NNPC/Shell JV Operators Bonny Terminal’ which was purportedly issued in favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd, dated Oct. 22, 2014, and issued by the NNPC.
“On Oct. 28, 2014, the defendants forged a document titled ‘Re-confirmation of Allocation in Favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd, which was dated October 28, 2024 and also purportedly issued by the NNPC.
“On December 15, 2014, a document purported to be from the NNPC titled ‘Authority to Sell Cargo on Board MT Gloric’, alleged to be issued in favour of Pure Pack Oil Nigeria Ltd and Dafar Oil and Gas was forged by the defendants.
Shedding light on how the defendants allegedly defrauded Mr. Ayo Falati their business partner, the prosecutor said that “On Dec. 8, 2014, the defendants fraudulently obtained N3million from Falati under false pretences.
“They falsely informed him after showing him the forged documents that they had secured a contract from the NNPC to supply crude oil from Nigeria to the United States of America.
“The defendants told Falati that the N3million they received from him represents 1 percent contract performance bond payment.”
After the pleas of the defendants were taken, Owede requested that they should be remanded in prison.
However, counsel to Omoniyi, Mr N.D Momoh requested for more time to file a bail application while Mr. J. Opara, counsel to Adedayo, urged the court to grant his client bail in the interest of justice.
Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya granted Adedayo N1million bail with two sureties in like sum.
The judge, however, remanded Omoniyi in the Kirikiri Prisons and adjourned the case to December 13 for commencement of trial.
