An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Musbau Issa, on Thursday told the Ikeja Special Offences Court how an oil marketer, Glory Benson, allegedly defrauded her customers of N100,865,000.
Benson alongside two of her companies Glonnek Energy Resources Limited and Petroyal Energy Limited are facing seven counts bordering on stealing, conversion preferred against her by EFCC.
The defendants were alleged to have dishonestly converted petroleum products worth the sum of N100,865,000 to their personal use.
When the case was called, the EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, announced her appearance and told the court that the matter was for trial, and then led Issa to the examination in chief.
Issa while testifying before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe said that the first defendant Glory Benson received various sums from the nominal complainants.
He told the court that after carrying out investigations, the commission discovered that the first complainant, Glory Onyeocha, on April 19, 2022, paid the sum of N16m into the defendant’s account and the defendant immediately transferred the sum of N300,000 to C.E.O Global Resources Empire.
The witness also said that the sum of N9,974,000 was transferred to Jusmac.
Issa added that on the same day, the second complainant, Chinyere Akpa, paid the sum of N15,855,000 and the defendant immediately paid the first complainant the sum of N17,975000 and then wrote the balance of the PMS.
According to the witness on the same day, Benson made payment of N15 to one Ifeanyi, N7.2m, to one Jubrin and N50,000 to one Abdulahi Musa.
“From the analysis, we understood that she was owing some customers and once she received from customer A, she would use it to pay customer B.
“The second complainant on April 22, 2022, via C.E.O. paid the sum of N9,060,000 to Benson and the defendant made a payment of N6,346,800, to Jusmac. She made another payment of N420,000 to an unknown account and the description on the account was me.
“The sum of N1,726,000 was transferred to one Benedicta and was described as balanced. Also, on April 25, 2022, the first complainant sent the sum of N13,950,000 to the defendant, and immediately after she received the money, she used it to offset CEO Empire.
“The second complainant Chinyere Akpa also paid her the sum of N15,500,000 and the defendant used it to pay global resources and she wrote repayment of PMS,” the witness said.
However, Justice Abike-Fadipe adjourned the case till March 27, 2024, for continuation of trial.
When the defendant was arraigned, the prosecutor, Bilikisu Buhari, told the court that Benson alongside her companies committed the offences between April 14 and 25, 2023.
She said that the defendant on April 14, 2023, dishonestly converted PMS worth the sum of N15,500,000, to her use, property of Akpa (CEO Empire Global Resources LTD).
The prosecutor also alleged that the defendant on April 19, 2023, converted N15,855,000, on April 22, 2023, the sum of N9,060,000, on April 25, 2023, the sum of N15,500,000, all property of Akpa.
Buhari further told the court that on the same April 19, 2023, the defendant converted the sum of N16m, N15m and N13,950,000, to her use, all property of Onyeacha.
According to her, the offences committed contravened Section 278, punishable under section 285 (9) (b) of the criminal law of Lagos State 2011.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
