Petrol Company Owner Arraigned Over Alleged N38.2m Fraud, Tax Evasion – EFCC

The Kaduna State chapter of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused the owner of Najaatu Petroleum Limited, Wasila Musa Ibrahim of money laundering and tax evasion.

In 2020, Ibrahim had reportedly defrauded a company known as Lee Group of a total sum of Thirty-Eight Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N38,200,000). According to the EFCC, the suspect had approached the Lee Group owner with a business proposal to supply the company Diesel and Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

Using the name of her company, Ibrahim collected the money from the victim and his family members, diverting it for her personal use.

According to the victims, after learning of the fraud, Wasila Ibrahim lied that she had paid the money with one Alhaji Lawan who allegedly absconded and could not be reached.

The suspect was then reported to the antigraft agency, after which investigations revealed that she never did pay the N38.2 million meant to supply petrol. The investigations also led to the discovery that Ibrahim’s company, Najaatu Petroleum Limited had evaded tax payment from January 2013 to 2020.

The suspect arraigned on Thursday before Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Kano was accused of money laundering and tax evasion.

One of the twelve counts charges against the defendant reads: “That you, Wasila Musa Ibrahim “F”, sometime in October 2020, in Kano within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did make a cash payment of the sum of N38,200,000.00 (Thirty-Eight Million and Two Hundred Thousand Naira) only to one Alhaji Lawan for the purchase of five (5) trucks of Diesel without passing through a financial institution and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) and punishable under Section 16(2) (b) of the same Act.”

The second charge against her by the EFCC also read: “That you, Wasila Musa Ibrahim “F”, Managing Director of Najaatu Petroleum Limited and Najaatu Petroleum Limited sometime in January, 2013 in Kano, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did fail to pay your company income tax for the year 2013 to the Federal Inland Revenue Service and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 9 (1) (a) of the Companies Income Tax Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 82 of the same Act”.

The case was however adjourned after the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges read before the court.

Leading the prosecution counsel, Y. J. Matiyak prayed the court to set a date for the hearing and remand of Ibrahim, while she remained in EFCC custody. However, Ibrahim’s legal counsel, Suleiman Abdulrahim informed the court of a pending application for bail of the defendant, requesting that she be admitted to bail. The prosecution swiftly moved against the request.

The judge, Justice Yunusa, in his ruling adjourned the case and ordered that the defendant remained in EFCC custody until the hearing of her bail application, holding on February 8, 2022.