Admin l Wednesday, September 22, 2021
LAGOS, Nigeria – The trial of alleged fraudsters, Victor Uadiale and Capt. Everest Nnaji before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for an alleged $5million (Five Million United States Dollars) fraud suffered set back today.
The matter which was adjourned for continuation of trial today couldn’t go on as planned due to the ill health of the second defendant counsel, Mr. Tayo Oyetubo, SAN. Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo informed the court that he received a call from the senior silk pleading for a new date to appear in court.
Contributing, counsel to the first defendant, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, SAN, confirmed the development while praying that court should consider his plea for a new date. In granting the prayer, Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned further trial till November 17.
Uadiale and Nnaji are facing a three-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence to the tune of $5million (Five Million United States Dollars), to which they pleaded “not guilty”, when they were first arraigned on December 14, 2018.
According to EFCC, Uadiale who goes by the names alias Victor Emeka and Amaka Emeka committed the offence of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence alongside Nnaji and one Ismaila Lawal (at large) between 1997 and 1998 in Lagos.
“Uadiale and Lawal between Feb. 24 and March 19 1997, with intent to defraud obtained an aggregate sum of $93,250 from Taofeeq Al-Omar, a Kuwaiti national. The funds were received under the false pretence that it represented the payment for 50,000 metric tonnes of Urea (phosphate fertilizer) which they claimed was procured from National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON).
“On Aug. 11, 1997 in Lagos Uadiale and Lawal fraudulently obtained $282,500 from Al-Omar under the false pretense that the money was payment for 75,000 metric tonnes of diesel procured from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
“Between Nov. 25 1997 and May 18, 2006 Uadiale and Nnaji in Lagos obtained an aggregate sum of $3.5 million from Al -Omar under the pretense that the funds was payment for bonny light crude diesel. Also, between Jan. 17, 2007 and Feb. 8, 2011 Uadiale solely obtained $945,000 from Al-Omar by falsely claiming that the money was payment for bonny light crude diesel,” Oyedepo said. According to the anti-graft commission, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 1(3) and 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 1995.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Victor Uadiale (aka Victor Emeka/Amaka Emeka), Captain Everest Nnaji, and Ismail Lawal (now at large) between 22nd April and 12th day of October 1998, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of $1,292,000.00 (One Million, Two Hundred and Ninety Two Thousand United States Dollar) from Tawfeeq A. Al-Omar, a Kuwaiti national, by falsely representing to him that the said sum represented payment for Urea Phosphate fertilizer, which you claimed was procured from National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON), Port Harcourt and Bonny Light Crude oil, which pretext you knew to be false and committed an offence contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 13 of 1995 as amended by ACT No. 62 0f 1999.”
