The Group Managing Director (GMD) of an oil marketing firm, Triumph Oil and Gas Madgascar Nigeria Limited, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Mahmud, was on Monday ordered to remain in correctional facility till January 24, 2022, for commencement of his trial before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Mahmud was dragged before Justice Yusuf Halilu, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a six-count charge bordering on an attempt to defraud the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the tune of $100 million and forgery.
Mahmud, who was first arraigned on November 26, 2020, before the court, in the suit marked CR/1041/2020, was accused by EFCC of forging the signatures of the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, Special Assistant to the President, Sabiu Yusuf and the GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Mahmud, who allegedly claimed to be a Deputy Governor in CBN, took the said forged documents to the apex bank to demand the payment of $100m for the contract he claimed his firm was awarded by the CBN.
Mahmud was also said to have claimed that his firm was engaged to monitor and supervise major Federal Government’s infrastructure projects, forfeited assets and government businesses, for which the CBN approved the payment of the $100m.
The apex bank, upon being confronted with the defendant’s claims, was said to have referred the case to the EFCC for investigation, following which the commission found that, not only was his firm not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) but also that the documents he was parading then were of doubtful origin.
Count one of the charges reads: “That you Ibrahim Olanrewaju Mahmud on or about 8th May, 2020 at Abuja, fraudulently made a false document to wit: Central Bank of Nigeria certificate of ownership, dated 6th May, 2020, purportedly signed by Mr Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and National Assembly of Federal Republic of Nigeria signature stating that you are the rightful beneficiary of US$100,000,000.00 only with the intention of causing same to be believed that the said document was genuine and emanated from Central Bank of Nigeria, which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 362 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Cup, 532 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, (Abuja) 1990.”
Mahmud, however, pleaded not guilty and was granted bail by Justice Halilu. He was yet to meet the conditions at the time the case came up for hearing on Monday.
When the matter was called, the prosecuting counsel, Benjamin Manji, informed that the matter was slated for hearing and expressed the prosecution’s readiness to proceed as its witness was in court.
However, counsel for the defendant, J. K. Kolawole, told the court that he was newly engaged by the defendant and, therefore, pleaded for time to enable him to familiarise himself with the case.
With the prosecution not objecting to the application, Justice Halilu adjourned the case to January 24, 2022, for a definite hearing.
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attempt to defraud CBN of $100m | attempt to defraud CBN of $100m | attempt to defraud CBN of $100m
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