Former NNPC Officials Jailed Two Years For $1.6 Billion Fraud

Two former top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC ,Victor Briggs and Abiye Membere, have been sentenced to two years imprisonment. 

They were both convicted on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 by Justice Nnamdi Digmba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who reserved the sentencing till today, Wednesday.  

They were both found guilty of collecting car gifts as public officials, an offense which contravenes Section 98 of the Criminal Code Act.

In today’s sitting, the convicts through their counsel, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.

Meanwhile, O. A Atolagbe who held the brief for the lead prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, had urged the court to impose custodial sentence on the defendants. 

The presiding judge however, sentenced them to two years imprisonment.

An option of two million naira fine each, to be paid immediately to the Federal Government, was also given to the convicts.

Aside receiving car gifts from Omokore and his companies, other reasons they were taken to court by EFCC included conspiracy.

They allegedly conspired to induce the NPDC to facilitate the lifting of crude by Olajide Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Limited and Atlantic Energy Drilling Concept Limited.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Olajide Jones Omokore, Atlantic Energy Brass Development Ltd,  Atlantic Energy Drilling Comcept Ltd and Kolawole Akanni Aluku (now at large) between May 2013 and March 2014 within the jurisdiction of  this Honourable Court obtained by false pretense and with intent to defraud, 7,551,867 barrels of crude oil (Brass blend) valued at the sum of $823,75,189.95 (Eight Hundred and Twenty Three Million, Seventy-Five Thousand, One Hundred and Eighty-Nine US Dollars and Ninety-Five Cents) from Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the false pretence that you had funds (both local and foreign) necessary to support the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited in petroleum operation for the OML 60,61, 62 and 63 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act Cap. A6, 2010, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”.