Wilson Endy Opuwei, a businessman and his company, Dateline Energy Services Ltd, have been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged $550,000 fraud.
Opuwei was docked on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretences and stealing.
Count One reads: “Wilson Endy Opuwei and Dateline Energy Services Ltd sometimes in April 2011 at Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division with intent to defraud obtained the sum of $500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Dollars) through one Chimaobi Anyast, from Prince Donatus Okonkwo under the false pretence that the money represent payment for allocation of 5000 metric tons of Due Purpose Kerosene (DPK) to him from Petroleum Product Marketing Company (PPMC) which pretence you knew was false.”
Count Two reads: “Wilson Opuwei and Dateline Energy Services Ltd sometimes in April 2011 Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division with intent to defraud obtained the sum $50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dollars) through one Chimaobi Anyaso from Prince Donatus Okonkwo under the false pretence that the money represent part payment for allocation of 5000 metric tons of Due Purpose Kerosene (DPK) to him from Petroleum Product Marketing Company (PPMC) which pretence you knew was false.”
The defendant had earlier been arraigned on May 23, 2011, before Justice Habeeb Abiru of the Lagos State High Court, but the matter was later transferred to Justice Abike-Fadipe for trial de novo.
According to the prosecution, led by Nwandu Ukoha, who held brief for Fadeke Giwa, Opuwei allegedly obtained the sum of $550,000 from businessman Prince Donatus Okonkwo in April 2011, under the false pretence that he would supply 5,000 metric tonnes of kerosene from the Pipeline Products and Marketing Company (PPMC)—a claim he allegedly knew to be false.
When the charges were read, Opuwei pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution informed the court that it had closed its case in 2015, but the defence failed to open its case, resulting in the matter restarting.
The case, according to the EFCC, has suffered prolonged delays due to the elevation of successive trial judges and alleged deliberate delays by the defence.
After initially being handled by Justice Abiru, who was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2012, the case passed through Justices Onigbagbo and Lawal Akapo, both of whom were also elevated to the appellate court, before being reassigned to Justice Abike-Fadipe.
Defence counsel reminded the court that Opuwei was granted bail on May 22, 2012, by Justice Abiru, and urged the court to allow the defendant to continue on the same bail conditions.
In her ruling, Justice Abike-Fadipe ordered that the existing bail conditions remain in force and adjourned the matter to March 19, 30 and 31, as well as April 1 and 2, 2026, for trial.