The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced Mamman Nasir Ali, son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Ahmadu Ali, to 14 years in prison for his involvement in a N2.2 billion oil subsidy scam.
Ali was sentenced alongside oil marketer Christian Taylor. Both were found guilty of fraudulently obtaining funds under the Petroleum Support Fund through Nasaman Oil Services Ltd.
The duo were initially arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 49-count charge, including conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, forgery, and using false documents — offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011. They pleaded not guilty.
Delivering judgment, Justice Mojisola Dada stated that the EFCC had successfully proven its case, describing the prosecution’s evidence as compelling. She held that the actions of the convicts defrauded the Nigerian government and undermined the credibility of the country’s oil subsidy regime.
Both men were convicted and sentenced to 14 years on each count, with the terms to run concurrently. The court also ordered the forfeiture of assets and accounts traced to the fraud.
In addition, Justice Dada issued arrest warrants for two other suspects still at large — Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdulafeez.
During the trial, EFCC counsel Seiduh Atteh called nine witnesses and presented numerous incriminating documents. The convicts also testified in their own defence.
Originally, the case was being heard by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo before his retirement. The EFCC alleged that the offence occurred in 2011, when the defendants fraudulently obtained N1.9 billion from the Federal Government by claiming it was subsidy for importing over 20 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
They claimed the fuel was sourced from SEATAC Petroleum Ltd in the British Virgin Islands. However, the EFCC proved that the importation never occurred and the supporting documents — including a falsified “Gasoline Analysis” — were forged.
