EFCC arraigns oil marketer over N4.4bn fraud

Florence Onojame, an oil trader, was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday with fraud amounting to N4.4 billion.

At the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Onojame and her business, Emee Oil & Gas Nigeria Limited, were both charged.

The three charges brought against her and her business have elements of both fraud and conspiracy.

The oil marketer allegedly colluded with others at large to defraud Access Bank Plc of the sum of N4,380,100,000, according to the prosecution's attorney for the EFCC, Fatai Mohammed.

The anti-graft organisation said that she transferred the funds fraudulently to other accounts held by the bank using Access Bank's Primusplus electronic banking platform.

According to the EFCC, she committed the crime in February 2022 in coordination with Chris Nnaji, a convicted felon, Captain Robert Aboh, Emenike Vincent Ebulu, and Nuhu Amanabo, four currently fugitives.

The prosecution asserts that the offence violated sections 409, 278 and 285 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2011.

However, the defendant entered a not-guilty plea to the three charges brought against her.

On the prosecution's plea, Justice Dada mandated that Onojame be held in custody at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility while the case was continued for a bail hearing till October 10.

Source