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Tag: Oil marketer

  • Court clears oil marketer of $100,000 fraud charge

    Court clears oil marketer of $100,000 fraud charge

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has acquitted and discharged an oil marketer, Aleem Suleiman Olaitan, of a $100,00.00 fraud charge filed against him by the police.

    Justice Abdulaziz Anka acquitted him of the four counts amended charge filed by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU).

    The judge held that the prosecution failed woefully to prove every ingredient of allegations beyond every reasonable doubt.

    Justice Anka also ordered the PSFU, Ikoyi, Lagos, to release to Olaitan all his properties seized by the police.

    The oil marketer was first arraigned on March 8, 2016, on two counts charge of alleged false pretence and fraudulently obtaining $100, 000 from a foreign company, Topkings Partner (HK) Limited, under the pretence of supplying petroleum product.

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    He pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

    The prosecution opened its case and called seven witnesses.

    The judge later accepted an amended charge, holding that the prosecution did not need the leave of the court to amend charges.

    The oil marketer, who operates under the name and style of Alimity Obanisare Oil And Gas Nigeria Limited, was accused of inducing a foreign company, Topkings Partner (HK) Limited, to enter into a contract with him.

    He allegedly falsely claimed to be a reliable businessman who could supply it crude oil in China, and that he was in a joint venture with Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).

    He was also alleged to have fraudulently obtained the sum of $100,000, through his FCMB account, to be used to lift and ship the crude oil to the company in China.

    He was also alleged to have forged several documents, including a letter of authorisation, a certificate of quality, a letter of acceptance, a certificate of compliance and a letter of introduction, purporting them to have emanated from NNPC and NNPC Joint Venture Operators in Bonny Island, Rivers State.

    The prosecution said the offences contravened sections 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

    He was also accused of violating Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 but punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act, among others.

    In defending the allegations, the oil marketer consistently said that he was never an agent of NNPCL.

    He also told the court that his inability to fulfil his part of the contract with the foreign company was largely caused by Topkings Partner (HK) Limited.

    Olaitan, through his lawyer, urged the court to dismiss all the charges against him.

    Justice Anka held that the prosecution failed to establish all the ingredients of the charges against the oil marketer.

    The judge held that most of the witnesses called by the prosecution were not necessary to the matter.

    Justice Anka also held that the prosecution failed to investigate the claim of the oil marketer regarding the agency he works for.

    The judge held that the prosecution failed to establish the offences of obtaining by false pretence, fraud and forgery against Olaitan.

    After acquitting and discharging the oil marketer, Justice Anka ordered the PSFU to release to him all his seized properties.

  • Oil marketers seek govt’s intervention to stabilise industry

    Oil marketers seek govt’s intervention to stabilise industry

    Marketers under the umbrella of Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA) of Nigeria have raised the alarm over the imminent scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, due to the  unsustainable cost of doing business.

    The group noted that already depots are deserted, retail stations shutting down and transporters packing their trucks.

    Seeking Federal Government’s intervention to save the market from complete shutdown between now and December, its President, Mr. Benneth Korie, who spoke at the association’s National Executive Meeting (NEC), dropped the hint that there might be no petrol in the country if the challenges were not addressed before then.

    According to him, the situation is due to the high cost of the Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) diesel, high exchange rate, deplorable states of road network, and charges imposed on marketers from the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS).

    “NOGASA is seriously worried that between now and December, this year, in the absence of government urgent intervention, the increasing loss of lives, businesses  and jobs with the accentuation by mass shut of filling stations and packing up of petroleum tankers, all due to unattainable high cost of importation, lifting transportation and distribution of petroleum products. 

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    “Similarly, depot owners are terribly effected by the increasing cost of the crude and exchange rate to the extent that many depots are practically deserted as their owners are unable to secure bank loans to fund their business due to high interest rates.

    “Banks are not willing to guarantee funds release to stakeholders as a result of difficulty, instability and galloping rates of foreign exchange and high cost of the dollar. Many depots are presently dried up or out of stock, and this is no gainsaying as it is evidently verifiable,” Korie said.

    He noted that the worst hit in the business are the filling stations  owners that find it difficult to secure funds to procure products for their retail outlets and both the independent and major marketers.

    He stressed that “filling stations are shutting down in great numbers  daily and dealers are going out of business with many more on the verge of bankruptcy because of their inability to secure funds to facilitate orders for their stations”.

    NOGASA urged the government to  come to the aid of the industry as quickly as possible to save it from an impending collosal collapse, which would, in turn, result in a more devastating blow to the economy at large.

    The association insisted that “the success of this government highly depends on the survival of the oil industry, whose critical stakeholders are presently most negatively affected.”

    On the palliatives which the government has released for the removal of subsidy, NOGASA, asked the government to provide palliatives for the marketers by releasing N600 per dollar for the next three months.

    Korie said, “We wish to once again and most sincerely reiterate that the only realistic option out of this dire situation for now is for Government to urgently consider to expedite the provision of an ‘Emergency Palliative Measures,’ for marketers such that fuels can be imported at the rate of at least N600 per dollar for the next three months while waiting for the promised reactivation of our refineries.

    “This will go a long way in cushioning the harsh effect of the high cost of importation and equally bring about relief to the business and cost of living generally.”

    Speaking at the NEC meeting, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) National Vice President, Mr. John Keke Ocha dropped the hint that there is low quality petrol in the market.

    He attributed the inferior quality to importation of the product by different suppliers from different refineries.

    According to him, the only solution is domestic refining and adherence to the country’s specification.

    Meanwhile, the Nation observed that retail outlets were gradually withdrawing their services in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

    While some were under lock and key, other resorted to vending the product with one pump.

    Despite the withholding of services, the there was no apparent increase in demand for the product.

  • N272.5m fraud: Oil marketer freed

    Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has dismissed a two-count charge of stealing and fraud against an oil marketer, Anthony Adejugbe and his firm, Tonique Oil Services Limited.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu held that the prosecution – the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) – did not prove its case against the defendants.

    The judge discharged and acquitted Adejugbe and his firm.

    The EFCC arraigned the defendants on November 13, 2012, saying they fraudulently obtained N272,500,000 from Watergate Petroleum and Gas Limited, under the pretence of supplying five million litres of petrol.

    But the defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Following a five-year trial, the court noted that there was neither evidence nor “a whiff of rumour” to establish the prosecution’s allegation against Adejugbe and his firm.

    Justice Okunnu held: “It is my findings that this is neither a case of stealing, nor one of obtaining by false pretence

    “The prosecution was unable to sustain its case, and so, without further ado, I hereby dismiss the case against both defendants.

    “Each of them, therefore, stands acquitted and discharged on each of the two-count charge.”

  • How NNPC caused fuel scarcity – Marketer

    How NNPC caused fuel scarcity – Marketer

    An oil and gas merchant, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho, has attributed the persistent scarcity of petrol to monopoly of the product by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    Iheanacho, also the Chairman, Integrated Oil and Gas Ltd., told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the inability of NNPC to create a window for private importers to import petrol also contributed to the scarcity.

    According to him, the current shortage in fuel importation gap was caused by the landing cost margin of N171 per litre and the selling cost pegged at N 145 per litre.

    Iheanacho said that this was not realistic for marketers to import and sell at that rate.

    “The selling of the product at N145 per litre is no longer feasible with the current exchange rate.

    “Shortage of foreign exchange and increase in crude prices have made it unprofitable to import petrol and sell same at N145 per litre.

    “The problem is that importation of petrol is being handled, almost 100 per cent, by NNPC, while private importers backed out because the increase in crude price has made the landing cost high,” he said.

    Iheanacho said that the marketers’ huge debts of over N800 billion had also contributed to their inability to import petrol.

    He said that most independent marketers had closed their companies due to inability to pay their workers.

    Iheanacho urged the Federal Government to settle all the outstanding debts owed marketers since 2015.

    According to him, commercial banks have started taken over the property and tank farms of some companies that could not pay back their loans.

    NAN reports that loading of petrol had commenced in Apapa.

    Visit to Apapa on Tuesday showed that hundreds of trucks were on queue waiting to load the product at Total, Forte Oil, Oando Plc, MRS, NIPCO and other private depots.

    NAN Correspondent who monitored the fuel situation in Lagos metropolis reports that long queues of motorists still persist in many filling stations in the metropolis.

    In areas like Ikorodu, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Oshodi, Ajegunle, Ikotun, Bariga and Sango-Ota, some stations were still selling petrol between N180 and N200 per litre.

    In Ikorodu area, many filling stations were selling at N200 per litre, while only few were selling at the official price.

    Commercial bus operators increased their fares by more than 100 per cent, claiming that they bought petrol above the official price of N145 per litre.

    NAN reports that the transport fare from Ikorodu Garage to CMS has increased from between N300 and N350 before the scarcity, to N1000.

    Also, from Epe to Ketu, passengers were being charged N1,500 against the N700 they were charging before the scarcity, while the fare from Ketu to Costain climbed to between N300 and N500.

  • Oil marketer bags 10 years over fuel subsidy fraud a month after earlier conviction

    Oil marketer bags 10 years over fuel subsidy fraud a month after earlier conviction

    Justuce Adebukola Banjoko of the  High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)  in Gudu has sentenced an oil marketer, Jubril Rowaye, to 10 years imprisonment.

    The judge, in a judgment that lasted over five hours, found Rowaye guilty of involvement in the about N1.05bn fraud perpetrated under the Petroleum Subsidy Fund Scheme.

    Also convicted with the oil marketer are  his company, Brilla Energy Limited, and another firm, Alminnur Resources Limited, to which the permit to import 10,000metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) into Nigeria was issued in 2011.

    This is the second time Rowaye and his company would be convicted. A High Court of Lagos State in Ikeja had on March 16 this year, convicted Rowaye and  Brila Energy Limited in relation to a fuel subsidy scam of N963.7m.

    Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the High Court of  Lagos State court sentenced Jubril to 10 years jail term.

    Yesterday, prison officials flew Rowaye to Abuja from Lagos where he was kept in Kirirkiri Prison.

    Justice Banjoko convicted Rowaye and others on 14 out of the17 counts on which they were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2012.

    On the offences of conspiracy and fraud, brought  under the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, the court sentenced Rowaye to 10 years imprisonment each without an option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.

    In relation to the 12 counts of conspiracy, forgery of documents and using the documents as genuine to facilitate the act of obtaining the total sum of N1,051,030,434.63 from the Federal Government under the fuel subsidy scheme by false pretence as charged under the Penal Code Act, the court sentenced him to seven years of imprisonment on each of the 12 counts.

    Justice Banjoko said the seven years imprisonment on each of the 12 counts, totalling 84 years jail term, must run consecutively, but with an option of N5m fine on each of the counts, amounting N60m fine option for the 12 counts.

    The judge directed that the convicts should refund to the Federal Government the equivalent of losses it suffered in the transaction.

    But Justice Banjoko noted yesterday that if the defendants had  called witnesses, they might have been able to offer explanations that could exonerate them of some of the charges.

    She held that due to the failure of the defendants to call witnesses, crucial evidence of the prosecution was not contradicted.

    The court held that although there was evidence that the defendants supplied the 10,000MT of PMS to the Federal Government, evidence showed that the product was not sourced from Netherlands as indicated in the contract paper and as claimed in the documents submitted by the defendant to facilitate payments for the importation under the subsidy scheme.

    Justice Banjoko held that the origin of the product and time of arrival of the vessel conveying the product from the source country were “crucial” factors in the computation of payments to the marketers.

    She explained that relying on the evidence of the PPPRA officer who testified during the trial, “distance matters”, the reason why a marketer that sourced products from Cotonou, would not be paid the same amount as another who sourced the same volume of products from the Netherlands or Alaska.

    The judge said the oral and documentary evidence led by the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, showed that Form M used by the defendants to source foreign exchange from the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Credit Letter purportedly issued by the defunct Spring Bank to guarantee the transaction, and the bill of lading allegedly sent by Napa Petroleum Inc from which the product was purchased in the Netherlands, were fraught with discrepancies and inconsistent information.

    The judge, also relying on EFCC’s report of  Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a global shipping and maritime intelligence-gathering organisation, held that as of June 2011, when the defendants claimed that the Mother Vessel brought the product from Netherlands to Offshore Cotonou, the said Mother Vessel, MT Kriti Akti, was already “dead, demolished, deregistered, since April 2010 and was lying on Gadani Beach in Pakistan”.

    She said it was indeed a “fairy tale” that “the ghost of MT Kriti Akti resurrected, it was loaded with PMS from the Netherlands, sailed on high sea to offshore Cotonou and discharged to the Daughter Vessel, MT Althea”, which in turn discharged to MT Brilla Keji in Port Harcourt.

    The judge berated the 13 Federal Government agencies involved in the oil subsidy scheme, including the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulation Agency (PPPRA), Department of Petroleum Resources, the Federal Ministry, the Debt Management Office, saddled with oversight functions of verifying the documents and the monitoring the supply of products at various stages, for failing in their responsibilities.

    Justice Banjoko noted that the PPPRA in particular, “was only interested in figures and not in compliance with its own rules.”

    She said the convicts were paid the sum of N1,051,030,434.63 in two tranches “assisted by lack of diligence, lack of vigilance, lack of thoroughness, lack of zeal for work by the Federal Government agencies saddled with oversight functions to ensure compliance with the rules.

    “The saddest thing in this transaction is the fact that none of the agencies of the Federal Government, with the exemption of DPR which raised some queries, saddled with the oversight functions, detected the discrepancies in the documents submitted to them.”

    The three counts on which they were freed relate to conspiracy, forgery and using as genuine, relating to the document titled: “Certificate of Quality Transfer” dated August 26, 2011, purportedly issued by MGI Inspections.

    The judge held that the evidence led by the prosecution only related to “Certificate of Quantity Transfer” and not “Certificate of Quality Transfer”.”

    Incidentally, the defendants did not lead evidence in their defence in the case.

    At the closure of the prosecution’s case after calling 12 witnesses, the defence decided to file separate no-case submission, which they lost.

    After losing the no-case submission they did not enter defence, but chose to rest their case on the prosecution’s which they thought was insufficient to earn conviction.

  • N963.7m subsidy fraud: Oil marketer gets 10 years jail

    N963.7m subsidy fraud: Oil marketer gets 10 years jail

    Justice Lateefa Okunnu of an Ikeja High Court has sentenced an oil marketer, Rowaye Jubril, to 10 years imprisonment over a N963.7 million fuel subsidy fraud.

    The conviction is coming barely two months after two oil marketers, Walter Wagbatsoma and Adaoha Ugo-Ndali and their company, Ontario Oil and Gas Limited, were convicted of N754 million subsidy fraud by the same court.

    Delivering judgment yesterday, Justice Okunnu convicted Jubril and his company, Brila Energy Limited, of a 13-count charge preferred against them by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The 13-count charge bordered on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretext, forgery and use of false documents.

    The trial judge sentenced Jubril to 10 years imprisonment on Count One.

    The convict was also sentenced to eight years each on Counts Two to 13.

    She ordered that the sentences should run concurrently and commenced from the date of judgement.

    Justice Okunnu ordered Jubril’s company to refund N963.7 million to the Federal Government as restitution.

    The defendants were  first arraigned by the EFCC on November 2012 before the court.

    The EFCC said the defendants had obtained N963.7 million from the Federal Government under the Petroleum Support Fund between October 2010 and May 2012.

    The anti-graft agency said the money was obtained for the purported importation of 13,500 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

    According to the EFCC, the  offences contravened Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006.

    It said the offences  contravened sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.

  • DPR warns marketers against scarcity, profiteering

    DPR warns marketers against scarcity, profiteering

    The Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Mordecai Ladan, has warned petroleum products depots and owners of filling stations across the country against diversion of the products.

    Ladan, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, also warned oil marketers against hoarding, pump manipulation and selling the products above approved prices.

    The statement came against the backdrop of the purported resurgence of fuel scarcity in parts of the country.

    He warned that any marketer found to be under-dispensing or selling products above regulated prices would be suspended for a minimum of two months.

    “Any Marketer caught diverting or hoarding the products for profiteering shall be sanctioned with a fine of N2 million and will have his operating license revoked.

    “Such operator also risk prosecution for national economic sabotage,” he said.

    The director also stated that DPR was collaborating with Petroleum Equalisation Fund and Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency to ensure that defaulters were sanctioned accordingly.

    It stated that all DPR offices nationwide had been directed to step up monitoring activities and ensure full compliance by marketers.

  • Oil marketer, 77, arraigned for N65m ‘fraud’

    Oil marketer, 77, arraigned for N65m ‘fraud’

    A 77-year-old oil marketer, Alhaja Mulikat Shonekan, was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja, Lagos High Court, for an alleged N65million fraud.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the septuagenarian, her company, Mujekanm Petroleum Nigerian Company Limited, and Martins Ogiogwa, for the offence.

    They were arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye on a five-count charge of conspiracy, advance fee fraud, theft, fraudulent conversion of funds and issuance of dud cheque.

    An ailing Alhaja Shonekan was assisted into the court by her relations as she could barely move even with the aid of a walking stick.

    The EFCC, represented by its counsel, A.B.C. Oziokwo, alleged that the defendants defrauded a company, Kuta Stones Limited, of N65 million.,

    They were alleged to have fraudulently obtained the money in September 2008 under the pretence of buying 90 acres of land at Kemta Ososun Village in Odeda Local Government Area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for the company.,

    The EFCC alleged that they collected the money from a director of the company, Mr Danladi Verheijen, but failed to deliver the property three years after.

    Alhaja Shonekan was also alleged to have issued a dud N5million GTBank cheque through her company’s account on July 15, 2011 as part repayment for the N65million she allegedly collected from the company.

    The commission said: “The cheque was dishonoured and returned unpaid when it was presented for payment”.

    The offences, according to the agency, are contrary to and punishable under Sections 8(a) and 1(3) and 1(1) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006; Section 390 of the Criminal Code Cap. C17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003; and Section 1(1) of the Dishonoured Cheque Offences Act, Cap. D11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.,

    Alhaja Shonekan and her fellow defendants pleaded not guilty.

    She was granted N5million bail with two sureties, one of who must be her relation.

    The surety must also be resident in Lagos with a tax clearance covering the last three years.

    The second defendant was granted N10million bail with two sureties, one of who must be his relation.

    Justice Ipaye ordered that the sureties must forward the surety sum in a bank cheque issued in favour of the Chief Registrar.

    One of the sureties of the second defendant must also present a N5million bond.

    The judge ordered that the septuagenarian remanded in EFCC custody, and the second defendant, in prison custody.,

    Counsel to Shonekan and her company, Bamidele Ogundele, urged the court to remand her in the EFCC custody pending when she perfects her bail conditions.

    Ogundele argued that the woman was ill and had been rushed to the hospital thrice while in EFCC’s custody.

    Oziokwo, while not opposing the defendants bail, however, objected to the remand of the first defendant in EFCC’s custody of the commission because it “does not have hospital in the event that she falls ill again.”

    Justice Ipaye said: “Justice must have face of compassion. Having noted the inability of the first defendant to walk, the prison may not be the ideal place to keep her. I order that she be kept in EFCC custody pending the perfection of her bail conditions”.

    She adjourned the matter till January 23, 2015 for trial.

  • Oil marketer denies diverting 10,000 metric tonnes of PMS

    An oil marketer, Opeyemi Ajuyah, accused of N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud, has denied the allegation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that she did not import 15,000 metric tonnes of PMS into the country.

    Ajuyah told the court that the EFCC did not do enough investigation to verify its claim that the vessel, MT Brave, actually discharged 15,000 metric tonnes of PMS at Lister jetty.

    Olanrewaju Ajanaku, who is representing the marketer, Ajuyah and her company, Majope Investment Ltd, spoke yesterday at the resumed trial of the defendants before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja.

    Ajuyah and her company  are being prosecuted by the EFCC with another oil marketer, Abdullahi Alao and a worker of Sterling Bank Plc, Olanrewaju Olalusi.

    Speaking through her counsel, Ajanaku, the oil marketer denied that she  conspired with others to divert over 10,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirits.

    Under cross examination by defence counsel, Ajanaku, an EFCC investigator, Mr. Effa Okim, admitted that an independent auditor, Mr. Ezekiel Ejidele, who supervised the transaction reported that 15,000 metric tonnes were discharged.

    Ajanaku argued that the EFCC failed to do a thorough investigation of the transaction and tendered Ejidele’s statement to the commission.

    The statement was admitted as exhibit by the court.

    Ajanaku said the statement by Ejidele, a worker with Akintola Williams Delloite Auditing Firm, confirmed that 15,000 metric tonnes was discharged at the jetty.

    Ajanaku further argued that the discharge certificates signed by the other surveyors, Q and Q Survey Ltd and Petroma Logistics Limited also revealed a discharge of 15,000 metric tonnes.

    The EFCC investigator, Okim, at the last hearing on May 27 testified that the defendants collected subsidy payment based on claims that they imported 15,000 metric of petroleum product into the country.

    Okim told the court then that investigations by the EFCC, however, showed that the vessel, MT Brave, only discharged 4,264 metric tonnes at the Lister Jetty in Apapa, contrary to the claims of the defendants.

    He said the remaining product was allegedly diverted to an unknown destination by the defendants.

    He alleged that Majope Investment Limited  obtained a subsidy payment for 15,000 metric tonnes from the Petroleum Support Fund for the transaction.

    The matter was adjourned till September 19 for continuation of hearing.

  • Oil marketer ‘jumps bail’, court told

    Oil marketer ‘jumps bail’, court told

    A Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, heard yesterday that one of the oil marketers, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo, who is being prosecuted for alleged N979.6 million subsidy fraud, has fled to Canada.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said this through its counsel, Mr Emmanuel Jackson, when it addressed the court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo at the resumed hearing of the alleged theft preferred against Ogunbambo.

    The marketer and another oil marketer, Habila Theck, are standing trial alongside their firm, Fargo Energy Limited.

    Justice Onigbanjo, on February 10, issued a bench warrant against Ogunbambo after he failed to appear before the court for the continuation of the trial.

    But counsel to the accused, Mr Raphael Oluyede, yesterday presented an application, dated February 11, for the court to stay execution of the bench warrant.

    He also urged the court to restrain the EFCC from arresting Ogunbambo.

    Oluyede said he sought the prayers pending the hearing and determination of Ogunbambo’s appeal against the bench warrant, which had been filed before the Court of Appeal in Lagos.

    The lawyer averred that Ogunbambo was absent from court because he was recently attacked by some gunmen who wanted to abduct him.

    The EFCC opposed the submission of the defence contained in the application.

    Jackson said the EFCC had not executed the bench warrant as ordered by the court.

    He said: “We have deposed in our affidavit that intelligence (information) available to the EFCC is that the defendant (Ogunbambo) has left the country to Canada. The commission is concerned because of the number of cases we have filed against him.

    “He has abused the liberty of being granted bail and his action is making the criminal law to look like a toothless bulldog.”

    The lawyer debunked the claim that Ogunbambo was attacked by some gunmen, adding that he was no longer in Nigeria.

    “This particular application is one that is out of order and ought to be dismissed because it is an abuse of court process,” Jackson said.

    Justice Onigbanjo adjourned the matter till April 28 for ruling on the application.