The Chairman of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria, NOGASA, has been arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for fraud amounting to N43,502,000.
The NOGASA Chair, Fatuyi Yemi Philips, was asrraiged on Thursday, 8 April, 2022, on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining the said amount by false pretense.
TheFact Nigeria reports that Philips was arraigned alongside his firm, Oceanview Oil and Gas Limited, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
According to one of the counts, Philips and Oceanview Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, on 28 September, 2016, defrauded Elochukwu Okoye and Elebana Unique Ventures Nigeria Limited who represent WAPCIL Nigeria Limited, under the false representation that Oceanview would sell to WAPCIL Nigeria Limited $98,870.00.
Following the defendant’s “not guilty” plea to the charges, counsel for the EFCC, S.O. Daji, who held the brief of M.S. Owede, prayed the Court for a trial date, in order to enable the prosecution prove its case against the defendant.
Defence counsel, Charles Ugbonna, who held the brief of Augustine I. Ogbodo, however, informed the Court of the bail application for the defendant filed on April 7, 2022.
While noting that granting of bail to a defendant was at the discretion of the Court, Daji stated that the application was not really ripe for hearing.
Following the submission of both parties, Justice Dada adjourned till April 28, 2022 for hearing of the bail application and ordered the remand of the defendant at any Correctional Centre of his choice.
