Evuikowhiroro Omaghomi, 40, the operations manager of Prime Alpha Petroleum Limited in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, and Patrick Akpotor, 62, the account manager, were on Thursday, April 12, 2018, sent to Ikoyi Prison, Lagos till they fulfilled the bail conditions granted them by an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos for allegedly stealing the sum of N143,327,221 belonging to their employer.
Ibrahim Kaoje, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP, in charge of the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, FSARS, directed DSP Emmanuel Okolie and his team to arrest the accused persons following a petition by the management of Prime Alpha Petroleum Ltd.
The accused persons from Delta State, South-South Nigeria were arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court on a three-count charge of a felony to wit, stealing.
Charles Odii, the Police Counsel, informed the Court in charge No C/.29/2018 that the accused persons committed the alleged crime between January 2011 and December 2016 at Engineering Close, Victoria Island, Lagos while they were managing the Oil Firm.
Odii told the Court that the Managing Director of the Oil Firm reported to the Police that he entrusted the management of the Oil Firm in the hands of the accused persons and traveled abroad to oversee other businesses, but that before he returned, the accused persons betrayed the trust he reposed in them and allegedly embezzled the sum of N143,327,221 they realised from the sales of petroleum products.
According to Odii, the complainant stated that he uncovered the alleged fraud when he audited the account books of the company.
He said that the offences, the accused persons committed were punishable under sections 409, 285 (7) and 335 (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime in the open court and Chief Magistrate A.A Adefulire granted them bail in the sum of N20 million each with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till May 22, 2018, for the mention.
Read more at Vanguard
