EFCC nabs fake NNPCL Director over ₦100m fraud

The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought Ibrahim Shuaibu before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, facing charges of fraud.

Shuaibu is being prosecuted on seven counts related to criminal breach of trust, impersonation, and obtaining by false pretenses involving a sum of ₦100 million.

Count one of his charges reads: “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak) (M) and lIya Garba (now deceased) sometime in 2017 in Kaduna within the judicial division of this honourable court did conspire between yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

Another reads: “That you, Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak)(M) sometime in 2018 at Kaduna within the judicial division of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the total sum of N47,050,000.00 (Forty-Seven Million and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Faisal Safiyanu, when you claimed to supply him petroleum products, which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to all charges when they were read to him, leading the prosecution counsel, M. Lawal, to request that the court set a trial date. His counsel, AbdulKareem Audu, did not file a bail application.

Justice Khobo subsequently ordered that Shuaibu be remanded in EFCC custody. Shuaibu’s prosecution began in 2017 when he falsely presented himself as the Group Executive Director of NNPCL and promised to help his victim procure over 2,000 liters of petroleum products. The victim transferred the agreed amount to Shuaibu’s bank accounts in installments.

After receiving the payment, Shuaibu did not fulfill his part of the agreement and failed to refund the victim.