OIL MARKETERS BAG 14-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR N2.2BN SUBSIDY FRAUD IN LANDMARK RULING
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
In a major victory for Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts, Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, sentenced oil marketers Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor to 14 years in prison each for defrauding the Federal Government of N2.2 billion under the petroleum subsidy scheme.
The high-profile case, prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), culminated in the conviction of the duo after a prolonged legal battle that saw their re-arraignment on March 26, 2025, on an amended 57-count charge. The charges included conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, obtaining money under false pretence, forgery, and the use of false documents.
Ali and Taylor, alongside their company, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, were found guilty of submitting forged documents, including a falsified “Gasoline Analysis” report for MT Overseas Limar, in order to fraudulently secure subsidy payments in September 2011. The forged documents were purportedly issued by Saybolt Concremat, a known inspection agency.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Dada ruled that the prosecution, led by Seiduh Atteh, had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. She condemned the defendants’ actions as not only fraudulent but also detrimental to the credibility of the national subsidy programme.
Beyond the custodial sentence, the court also ordered the forfeiture of assets and bank accounts linked to the fraudulent scheme. Additionally, arrest warrants were issued for two suspects still at large Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul Afeez.
The ruling is being hailed by legal experts and anti-corruption advocates as a watershed moment in the fight against endemic corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector.
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