Two oil marketers, Mamman Nasir Ali and Christian Taylor, have been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment each for their role in a ₦2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.
This was in a judgement delivered by a Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada on Tuesday.
The defendants were found guilty on multiple charges, including conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, obtaining money under false pretence, and forgery.
This brings an end to a long-running case prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Ali and Taylor, alongside their company, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, were re-arraigned on 26 March 2025 on an amended 57-count charge after fresh evidence emerged during the trial.
The EFCC alleged that the defendants fraudulently claimed ₦2.2 billion from the Federal Government under the petroleum subsidy scheme in 2011 by submitting forged documents, including a falsified “Gasoline Analysis” report for the MT Overseas Limar, purportedly issued by Saybolt Concremat.
Justice Dada ruled that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, stating that the defendants’ actions not only defrauded the government but also compromised the credibility of Nigeria’s fuel subsidy regime.
In addition to the custodial sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of assets and bank accounts linked to the fraud. Arrest warrants were also issued for two other suspects, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul Afeez, who remain at large.
Legal experts have described the ruling as a major milestone in Nigeria’s fight against corruption in the oil sector, which has long been plagued by fraud and mismanagement
