EFCC arraigns suspected NNPCL director impersonator for N100 million fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a suspect accused of swindling N100 million out a victim by falsely claiming to be a director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

A statement from the commission on Monday said Ibrahim Shuaibu was arraigned on seven counts of fraud before the Kaduna State High Court in Kaduna.

The seven counts centred on criminal breach of trust, impersonation and obtaining as much as N100 million from victims by false pretence.

According to the EFCC, in 2017, Mr Shuaibu presented himself to his victim as NNPCL’s Group Executive Director and promised to assist him procure over 2,000 litres of petroleum products.

The victim, Faisal Safiyanu, was said to have transferred the agreed cost to Mr Shuaibu’s bank accounts in tranches.

The commission said Mr Shuaibu failed to fulfil his own part of the bargain after receiving payment and failed to refund the victim’s money.

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to all the seven charges when they were read to him.

The judge, Darius Khobo, remanded him in prison.

Read EFCC’s full statement below.

EFCC Arraigns Fake NNPCL Director for N100m Fraud

The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has arraigned one Ibrahim Nuhu Shuaibu before Justice Darius Khobo of the Kaduna State High Court, sitting in Kaduna State for fraud.

Shuaibu is being prosecuted on a seven-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N100 million.

Count one of his charge 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 honorable 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 the charges when they were read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, M. Lawal to urge the court to fix a trial date. His counsel, AbdulKareem Audu failed to file a bail application.

Justice Khobo afterwards ordered the defendant to be remanded in the custody of the EFCC.

Shuaibu’s journey to prosecution started sometime in 2017 when he presented himself to his victim as NNPCL’s Group Executive Director and promised to assist him procure over 2000 litres of petroleum products for which the victim transferred the agreed cost to his bank accounts in tranches. Shuaibu failed to fulfil his own part of the bargain after receiving payment and failed to refund his victim his money.

Dele Oyewale

Head, Media & Publicity

September 9, 2024