N967.6m fuel subsidy fraud: Court orders Ikoyi prison to produce oil marketer

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday, ordered the authorities of Ikoyi Prison, Lagos to produce an oil marketer, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, in court to face trial for his alleged complicity in a N967.6 million fuel subsidy fraud.

Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, at the resumed hearing of the matter, issued the production warrant  after the scheduled trial stalled due to Ogunbambo’s absence.

He adjourned the matter till February 11 for continuation of trial, with an order that the prison authorities  produced him at the next sitting.

Ogunbambo was charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside his partner, Habila Theck and their company, Fargo Petroleum and Gas Limited.

The defendants are facing a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents.

They had pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail by the court.

However, Ogunbambo’s bail could not be enforced because he was denied bail by Onigbanjo in another fuel subsidy matter involving N4.4 billion.

He was also denied bail by Justice Olabisi Akinlade of an Ikeja High Court sitting in Lagos, where he is facing another fraud charge.

The defendant was arraigned before Akinlade for fraudulently obtaining a N430 million loan facility from Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, EFCC counsel, Mr Francis Usani, drew the court’s attention to the fact that only Theck was in court to face trial.

“The first defendant (Ogunbambo) is not in court. I am relatively surprised because I was with him yesterday [Monday] before Justice Akinlade and there was nothing wrong with him.

“I don’t know why he has decided to abandon court today.”

However, counsel to the defendants, Mr Gboyega Oyewole, blamed the absence of the defendant on a mix-up by the prison authorities.

“The prison wardens said they were not aware that they were to bring him today because he is on bail in this matter.

“So a specific order needs to be made to the prison authorities concerning this matter,” Oyewole said.