An Ikeja Special Offences Court has sentenced Mamman Ali and Christian Taylor to 14 years in prison each for their involvement in a N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud. Ali, the son of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmadu Ali, and Taylor were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Nasaman Oil Services Ltd in an amended 57-count indictment that included conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretenses, forgery, and the use of false documents.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. In her judgment, Justice Mojisola Dada concluded that the EFCC had effectively established its case against the two convicts. She noted that the evidence presented by the prosecution was both compelling and sufficient to substantiate the charges, adding that the defendants’ actions had not only defrauded the Nigerian government but had also undermined the integrity of the country’s oil subsidy program.
Consequently, the court handed down a collective sentence of 14 years for each count against the duo. Additionally, Justice Dada ordered the forfeiture of assets and bank accounts linked to the fraudulent activities.
A warrant for the arrest of two other suspects, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdulafeez, who remain at large, was also issued by the court. During the trial, EFCC counsel Seiduh Atteh presented nine witnesses, whose testimonies and supporting documents were crucial to the prosecution’s case.
The convicts had initially been on trial before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (rtd) at the Ikeja High Court prior to his retirement. According to the EFCC, the fraudulent actions took place in 2011, when the defendants purportedly obtained N1.9 billion from the Federal Government, claiming it represented the subsidy due to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund. They falsely asserted that the funds were for the importation of over 20 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from a company based in the British Virgin Islands.
The EFCC asserted that all these claims were fabricated, further alleging that the defendants submitted forged documents, including a falsified “Gasoline Analysis” report.