Lagos Court Sentences Nasir Ali and One Other to 14 Years for N2.2 Billion Oil

Lagos Court Sentences Nasir Ali and One Other to 14 Years for N2.2 Billion Oil Subsidy Fraud

Lagos Court Sentences Nasir Ali and Accomplice to 14 Years for N2.2bn Oil Subsidy Fraud: On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, convicted and sentenced two oil marketers, Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, to 14 years in prison each for their involvement in a N2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.

The pair were re-arraigned alongside Nasaman Oil Services Limited on an updated 57-count charge after new evidence emerged in the case. Initially, the defendants faced a 49-count charge related to conspiracy to obtain money through deceit, forgery, and the use of false documents. One charge detailed that on or about November 9, 2011, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd, along with Mamman Nasir Ali, Christian Taylor, and two others currently at large, conspired to fraudulently obtain N749,991,273.36 (Seven Hundred and Forty-Nine Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-One Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Three Naira and Thirty-Six Kobo) from the Federal Government of Nigeria. They falsely claimed this amount represented a subsidy owed to Nasaman Oil Services Ltd under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 10,031,986 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), which they purportedly purchased from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd in the British Virgin Islands and imported via MT Liquid Fortune Ltd, despite knowing this information was fraudulent. Another charge indicated that on or about April 11, 2011, the same defendants fraudulently obtained N1,480,074,125.61 (One Billion Four Hundred and Eighty Million, Seventy-Four Thousand, One Hundred and Twenty-Five Naira and Sixty-One Kobo) from the Federal Government by inaccurately claiming this amount represented a subsidy for the importation of 20,492,982.50 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). This was also purportedly sourced from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd in the British Virgin Islands and imported through other vessels, which they were aware was untrue. Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges against them. The case was originally tried before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. However, Justice Onigbanjo recused himself from the case, leading to its reassignment to Justice Dada.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by Seiduh Atteh, presented witnesses and submitted documents as evidence, all of which were accepted by the court to substantiate their case against the defendants. In her judgment, Justice Dada found the prosecution's evidence persuasive, stating the defendants' actions not only constituted fraud against the government but also compromised the integrity of Nigeria's oil subsidy program.