Mamman Ali, Accomplice Jailed 14 Years Over N2.2bn Fuel Subsidy Fraud

Mamman Ali and his accomplice have been jailed 14 years over N2.2bn fuel subsidy fraud.

NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday sentenced two oil marketers, Mamman Ali and Christian Taylor, to 14 years in prison each for their involvement in a ₦2.2 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

The two men, along with their company, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, were facing an amended 57-count charge following the emergence of new evidence.

Initially arraigned on 49 counts, they were accused of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretences, forgery, and use of falsified documents. All defendants had pleaded not guilty.

One of the charges stated that on November 9, 2011, the marketers and two accomplices—now fugitives—allegedly conspired: “to obtain the sum of N749,991,273.36 … by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy accruing to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 10,031,986 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) … which representation you knew to be false.”

Another charge detailed how, on April 11, 2011, they allegedly defrauded the government of N1,480,074,125.61 by claiming subsidy for 20,492,982.50 litres of PMS purportedly imported through shell companies based in the British Virgin Islands.

After Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo withdrew from the matter, the case was reassigned to Justice Dada.

During the trial, Prosecutor Seiduh Atteh presented multiple witnesses and documentary evidence showing that the subsidy claims were made without the actual importation of fuel.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Dada stated: “not only a serious breach of trust, but an assault on the integrity of Nigeria’s oil subsidy programme.”

She found the prosecution’s evidence overwhelming and convicted both Ali and Taylor on all charges.

In addition to their prison sentences, Justice Dada ordered the forfeiture of assets and bank accounts linked to the fraudulent scheme.

She also issued arrest warrants for Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez, who are currently at large.

The judgment stands as one of the most high-profile convictions in Nigeria’s efforts to combat subsidy fraud.