Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, November 18, 2024, convicted and sentenced Fatuyi Yemi Philips, an erstwhile Chairman of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), to 21 years imprisonment for a N43.5m fraud.
The Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Philips, alongside his firm, Oceanview Oil and Gas Limited, on April 5, 2022, on a two-count bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N43,502,000.00.
Count one read: “Fatuyi Yemi Philips and Oceanview Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, on or about the 28th day of September, 2016, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the aggregate sum of N43,502,000.00 from Elochukwu Okoye and Elebana Unique Ventures Nigeria Limited on behalf of WAPCIL Nigeria Limited under the false representation that you would sell to WAPCIL Nigeria Limited $98,870.00, a representation you knew to be false.”
Count two read: “Fatuyi Yemi Philips and Oceanview Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, on or about the 28th day of September, 2016, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, stole the sum of N43,502,000.00, property of WAPCIL Nigeria Limited.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, which led to his full trial.
In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel M.S. Owede tendered several documentary evidences and called five witnesses to substantiate the allegations against him and his company.
The defence, on its part, called three witnesses during the trial.
Delivering judgement on Monday, Justice Dada held that the prosecution proved its case against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.
Consequently, the judge sentenced Philips to 14 years imprisonment on count one and seven years on count two, without the option of a fine.
The sentences are to be served concurrently.
The judge also ordered the second defendant, Oceanview Oil and Gas Limited, to pay a fine of N500,000 (five hundred thousand naira) in respect of count one and another N250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand naira) in respect of count two within 30 days or be wound up.
The court further ordered the convicts to make restitution in the sum of $90,202.00 or the prevailing Naira equivalent to the nominal complainants.
Phillips’ journey to the Correctional Centre began when he collected the sum of N43,502,000 from Elochukwu Okoye and Elebana Unique Ventures Nigeria Limited on behalf of WAPCIL Nigeria Limited, with a false promise of selling its dollar equivalent ($98,870.00) to them. He neither returned the naira nor the dollar equivalent to the petitioners.