Admin l Saturday, February 18, 2023
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – A Domestic and Special Offences court sitting in Ikeja on Friday have sentenced Obasanjo’s in-law John Abebe to seven years imprisonment.
He was however given an option of N50 million fine which must be paid within 30 days. He was sentenced by Justice Mojisola Dada.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Abebe, who is a younger brother to the late former First Lady, Stella Obasanjo for alleged forgery.
Abebe was arraigned on three counts charge of money laundering and forgery. EFCC claimed that Abebe “knowingly forged” a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited to Inducon (Nigeria) Ltd.
The anti-graft agency claimed that the businessman “illegally inserted” into page 2 of the said letter “the following statement: “Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields.”
According to the EFCC, Mr. Abebe also attempted to “pervert the course of justice” by tendering the allegedly forged November 30, 1995 letter “as a fabricated evidence” in court, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010 between Dr. John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited and Statoil Nigeria Limited.
He was arraigned on four counts. Justice Mojisola Dada handed the judgement after it was established that the prosecution proof it case beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecution led by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo SAN had arraigned the defendant on the 26th of July 2018 on three counts charge bothering on money laundering and forgery.
