The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Tuesday
re-arraigned Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Aliyu Abubakar and six others
before Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on
sixty-seven amended charges, bordering on money laundering to the tune
of $875,740,000( Eight Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, Seven Hundred
and Forty Thousand United States Dollars).
The other six defendants are A Group Construction Company Limited; Rocky
Top Resources Limited; Megatech Engineering Limited; Novel Properties
and Development Company Limited, Imperial Union Limited and Carlin
International Nigeria Limited.
EFCC Counsel, Bala Sanga told the court that he was ready with the
amended charges and for the eight defendants to take their pleas:
Count one of the charges read:
“That you Malabu Oil Gas Limited, Seidougha Munamuna (at large), Amaran
Joseph (at large) and Douzia Loya Etete (at large), on or about the 24th
day of August 2011, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable
Court took control of the sum of $401,540,000.00(Four Hundred and One
Million, Five Hundred and Forty Thousand United States Dollars) paid
from the Federal Government of Nigeria Escrow Account No: 0041451493
IBAN 30CHAS609242411492 with JP Morgan Chase Bank in London into account
2018288005 of Malabu Oil & Gas Limited domiciled with First Bank of
Nigeria Limited, when you reasonably ought to have known that the funds
formed part of an unlawful activity to wit: negotiation, signing and
payment in respect of the Block 245 Resolution Agreement between the
Federal Government of Nigeria with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited,
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria Agip Exploration
Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited,
whereby taxes, accruals and royalties due to the Federal Government of
Nigeria were unlawfully waived and you thereby committed an offence
contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of Money Laundering Prohibition Act.”
Count two of the charges read:
“That you Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Seidougha Munamuna (at large),
Amaran Joseph (at large) and Dauzia Loya Etete( at large) on or about
the 24th day of August 2011, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court took control of the sum of $400,000,000.00( Four
Hundred Million United States Dollars) aid from the Federal Government
of Nigeria Escrow Account No: 0041451493 IBAN 30CHAS6092424411492 with
JP Morgan Chase Bank in London into the account No. 1005552028 of Malabu
Oil & Gas Limited domiciled with Bank PHB Plc (Now Keystone Bank
Limited, Account No. 3610042472), when you reasonably ought to have
known that the funds formed part of an unlawful activity to wit:
negotiation, signing and payment in respect of the Block 245 Resolution
Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria with Shell Nigeria
Ultra Deep Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigeria
Agip Exploration Limited, and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production
Company Limited whereby taxes, accruals and royalties due to the Federal
Government of Nigeria were unlawfully waived and you thereby committed
an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering
Prohibition Act 2011(as amended) and punished under section 15(3) and
15(4) of the same Act.
Count three of the charges read:
“ That you Malabu Oil & Gas Limited, Seidougha Munamuna ( at large),
Amaran Joseph( at large) and Dauzia Loya Etete (at large) on or about
30th August 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable
court took control of the sum of $74,200,000.03(Seventy Four Million,
Two Hundred Thousand United States Dollars, Three cents) paid from the
Federal Government of Nigeria Escrow Account No: 0041451493 IBAN
30CHAS609242411492 with JP Morgan Chase Bank in London into the account
No. 1005552028 of Malabu Oil & Gas Limited domiciled with Bank PHB
Plc(Now Keystone Bank Limited Account No.3610042472), when you
reasonably ought to have known that the funds formed part of an unlawful
activity to wit: negotiation, signing and payment in respect of the
Block 245 Resolution Agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria
with Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, Nigeria Agip Exploration Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration
and Production Company Limited whereby taxes, accruals and royalties due
to the Federal Government of Nigeria were unlawfully waived and you
thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money
Laundering Prohibition Act 2011(as amended) and Punishable under section
15(3) and 15(4) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the sixty-seven charges.
Thereafter, Sanga prayed the court to grant date for commencement of
trial. Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter to Thursday, September 10,
2020, for the commencement of trial and granted that the defendants
continue with their existing bail. “I presume the defendant will
continue with their bail”, he said.
