Subsidy Scam: EFCC Boss Narrates How Nadabo Energy Used Forged documents To Obtained N1.4bn

Bawa Descending From Court’s Staircase After His Testimony In The Matter

Subsidy Scam: EFCC Boss Narrates How Nadabo Energy Used Forged documents To Obtained N1.4bn

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa, on yesterday, narrated how that the embattled Abubakar Alli Peters and his firm,  Nadabo Energy Limited, allegedly used forged documents to receive the sum of N1.4 billion, for fuel subsidy.

Bawa being led in evidence by the Commission’s counsel, Mr Saidu Ateh alongside Ritmi Oyedepo and others, narrated vividly before Justice Sebotan Ogunsanya, how the defendants forged all the documents leading to the subsidy payment of N762 million by inflating the quantity of the Petroleum products imported. 

The EFCC boss also told the court that the bank which finance the importion explained that the Local Purchase Order (LPO) of the Petroleum product financed by them is N666 million as against 1.4 billion claimed by the defendant. Adding that the vessel used in importing the product, only brought in 8 million litres against the claim of the defendant that the vessel shipped in 12 million litres.

In furtherance to his evidence, the EFCC boss said that “investigation revealed how all the correspondences that led to the receipt of N1.4 billion” by the defendants were all forged.

Earlier in his testimony, Mr. Bawa had told the court that a complaint was received from the then Minister for Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Allison Madueke, on how the defendant received the sum of N1.4 billion for the importion of 8 million litres but inflated it to 12 million litres and received the excess of N762 million, instead of N666 million.

He had further told the court that investigation in respect of defendant to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and Starco insurance PLC to authenticate the product marine insurance but they all responded that the documents used by the defendant to received the excess N762 million subsidy, were forged. 

“We equally wrote letter to PPPRA to confirm what the defendant is entitled to but the agency responded that the defendant only entitled to 683m naira as against N1.4 billion, he received from the Federal Government for subsidy of N762 million, which he never imported”.

Bawa also tendered the two statements of the defendant offered to EFCC during investigation in 2015.

But counsel to the defendant, Osagie Isiramen, objected to the admissibility of the statement on the ground that it was not obtained in the present of his lawyer and that he was not given water to drink, he there urged the court to ordered for trial within trial to test the voluntriness of the statement. 

But the trial judge in her short ruling dismissed the objection and admitted the statement in evidence and marked exhibit P26 and P27 respectively. 

On the verge of cross examining the EFCC boss who is a second prosecution witness and the investigating officer of the case defence counsel sought for an adjournment.

Justice Ogunsanya later adjourned further trial till November 1 and 2, 2021 for Bawa’s cross-examination by the defendants.

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