N1.9bn Oil Subsidy Fraud: Wagbatsoma, Others Get Judgement Tomorrow

Justice Lateefa Okunnu of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, will tomorrow deliver judgement in a N1.9 billion oil subsidy theft charge brought against Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo- Ndagi and Ontario Oil & Gas Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a statement from EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, the suspects allegedly obtained the sum of N340, 000,000, on July 7, 2010, from the Federal Government as subsidy payable to Ontario Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited.
“The offence is among several others brought against them by the EFCC in a case of conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretense, forgery and altering of documents,” Uwujaren stated.
The statement reads further: “Justice Okunnu had earlier dismissed all three applications filed on behalf of Walter Wagbatsoma, Adaoha Ugo-Ngadi an their company, Ontario Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, challenging the jurisdiction and competence of the lower court as well as a no-case submission, argued by the defendants.
“Their attempt to also use the Court of Appeal to stop their trial also failed. In a lead ruling delivered by Justice Amina Augie, on April 30, 2015, the appellate court again dismissed their applications to stop the trial, by affirming the jurisdiction of the lower court, and ordered him and others to “go and face trial.”