Ex-President Obasanjo’s In-Law, Abebe Remanded For Forgery, Fraud
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday remanded John Abebe, a younger brother of the late former First Lady, Stella Obasanjo in prison for alleged forgery and fraud.
Justice Dada ordered that Abebe be kept at the Ikoyi prisons pending the hearing and determination of his bail application after he was arraigned before her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four count charge of forgery and Fraud.
The commission alleged that Abebe “knowingly forged” a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited to Inducon (Nigeria) Ltd.
The EFCC also maintained that the businessman illegally inserted into page 2 of the said letter “the following words: Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of Oil in any of our fields.”
The anti-graft agency further claimed that the accused persons also attempted to pervert the course of justice by tendering the allegedly forged November 30, 1995 letter “as a fabricated evidence” in court, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010 between Dr. John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited and Statoil Nigeria Limited.
The commission also accused the Lagos based businessman of making an attempt to mislead the court by using fabricated evidence contrary to Section 120 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
The EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that accused person offences violated Section 126 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap C17 and Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
To this end, Justice Dada will on August 2 hear the bail application of the accused person.
