Fake NNPCL director dragged to court by EFCC for N100m oil deal impersonation scheme

Fake NNPCL director dragged to court by EFCC for N100m oil deal impersonation scheme, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought charges against Ibrahim Nuhu Shuaibu, accusing him of a N100 million fraud scheme.

Shuaibu, who is alleged to have impersonated a Group Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), was arraigned before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court.

The EFCC has charged Shuaibu on seven counts, which include criminal breach of trust, impersonation, and obtaining money under false pretenses-EFCC stated in a post on X.

The charges date back to incidents beginning in 2017, when Shuaibu, under the alias Ishaku Abdulrazak, allegedly conspired with a now-deceased accomplice, Iliya Garba, to defraud victims by promising to supply petroleum products.

According to the EFCC, Shuaibu convinced one victim, Faisal Safiyanu, to transfer over N47 million to his account after falsely claiming he would supply petroleum products. Despite receiving the funds, Shuaibu failed to deliver the products, nor did he refund the money, leading to his prosecution by the EFCC.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak) and lIya Garba (now deceased), sometime in 2017 in Kaduna, within the judicial division of this honourable court, did conspire to obtain money under false pretenses, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

What You Need To know

Another count specifies that Shuaibu, in 2018, fraudulently obtained N47,050,000 from Safiyanu under the pretense of supplying petroleum products.

The charge notes that Shuaibu knew his claims were false, yet proceeded to defraud the victim. This act is in violation of Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same legislation.

During his arraignment, Shuaibu pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. Following this, the prosecution, led by M. Lawal, requested the court to set a date for trial. However, Shuaibu’s defense counsel, AbdulKareem Audu, did not file a bail application, prompting the presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, to order the defendant’s remand in EFCC custody pending the trial.

The EFCC has been investigating Shuaibu’s activities since 2017 when he first presented himself as a senior NNPCL official. Posing as a Group Executive Director, Shuaibu reportedly convinced his victim that he could facilitate the procurement of over 2,000 litres of petroleum products. The victim, believing Shuaibu’s claims to be genuine, transferred funds to him in tranches.

However, after receiving the money, Shuaibu neither fulfilled his promise to supply the products nor returned the funds to the victim.

This case is part of the EFCC’s broader efforts to curb financial crimes and protect the public from fraudulent schemes, particularly those involving impersonation and false pretenses. Advance fee fraud, commonly referred to as “419” in Nigeria, continues to be a significant concern for authorities, and the EFCC has intensified its crackdown on offenders.

The trial, once underway, is expected to reveal more details surrounding the alleged fraud and the extent of Shuaibu’s involvement in other potential schemes. The EFCC’s pursuit of justice in cases like this highlights the agency’s commitment to fighting financial crimes in Nigeria.