Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Maitama, Abuja, has fixed April 20, 2021, for definite hearing of the six-count charge of forgery and attempt to obtain $100,000,000 brought against Ibrahim Olanrewaju Mahmud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The offence contravenes Sections 6 and 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 362, 366, and 364 of Panel Code.
The defendant, group managing director, Triumph Oil and Gas Madagascar, Nigeria Limited, an unregistered company, allegedly presented forged documents to the Central Bank of Nigeria seeking payment of $50,000,000 for a purported $100,000,000 contract for monitoring and supervision of major Federal Republic of Nigeria infrastructure projects approved for his company by the apex bank.
Other forged documents recovered from the defendant include a letter purportedly emanating from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, signed by the Minister of State, Chief Timipre Sylva, another document from the Presidency supposedly signed by Sabiu Yusuf, Special Assistant to the President; certificates of payments in millions of dollars, purportedly signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, and contract award letters, signed by Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank (CBN).
One of the counts reads, “That you, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Mahmud, on or about 22nd July, 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the High Court of FCT, while acting as the group managing director, Triumph Oil and Gas Madagascar Nigeria Limited, a company not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission and with intent to defraud, did attempt to obtain the sum of $50,000,000 only from CBN, under the false pretense that Triumph Oil & Gas Madagascar Nigeria Limited is responsible for monitoring and supervision of major Federal Republic of Nigeria infrastructure projects, forfeited assets and government businesses, that the said sum represent a contract payment approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”.