Alleged N15.8m oil fraud: Court orders man to open defence

An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday ordered a man, Balami Abdullahi, charged with N15.8 million oil fraud to open his defence, following the dismissal of his no-case submission by the court.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Mojisola Dada, in her ruling, held that the defendant’s no-case submission was lacking in merit and that a prima facie case had been established by the prosecution linking the defendant to the alleged offence.

“The no-case submission fails and is hereby dismissed and the defendant is called upon to open his case,” Dada said.

The judge adjourned the case until July 10 for the defendant to open his defense.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Abdullahi on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretence and stealing.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, following his arraignment on Dec. 13, 2019.

The EFCC counsel, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, had called three witnesses through whom documentary evidence was presented in court and thereafter closed her case in November 2022.

The prosecution had alleged the defendants defrauded one Alhaji Buba Kimba of the said sum by falsely representing to him that he had 40,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil to sell, a representation he knew to be false.

The prosecution also submitted that the defendant, who allegedly committed the offences on Dec. 24, 2018, failed to deliver the product as all efforts by the complainant to retrieve the money from him proved abortive.

According to the EFCC counsel, the alleged offences contravene Sections 1(1) (a) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.