Court remands woman over ‘N42.3m petrol supply fraud’ in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned one Chinwendu Fidelia Ohanebo over an alleged N42,345,000 fraud in Lagos.

Ohanebo was arraigned at the Lagos high court in Ikeja on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences and stealing by conversion.

According to the charge sheet, Ohanebo allegedly obtained N42.34 million from Musa Muhammed Jidda in 2025 “under the false pretense for the supply of 45 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the rate of N941 per liter”.

“That you CHINWENDU FIDELIA OHANEBO sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Forty Two Million Three Hundred and Forty Five Thousand Naira (N42,345,000.00) from one Musa Muhammed Jidda, under the false pretense for the supply of 45 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the rate of N941 per liter and committed an offence of obtaining under false pretences contrary to Sections 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006,” part of the charge sheet reads.

“That you CHINWENDU FIDELIA OHANEBO sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted the total Forty Two Million Three Hundred And Forty Five Thousand Naira (N42,345,000.00) property of one Musa Muhammed Jidda to your own personal use and committed an offence of stealing by conversion contrary to Section 280(1) (b) and punishable under section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

Ohanebo pleaded guilty to the first count and not guilty to the second count when the charges were read to her.

After the defendant took their pleas, H.U. Kofarnaisa, prosecution counsel, asked the court for an adjournment to commence trial on the second count.

M.A. Lawal, the trial judge, adjourned the case for review of facts on the first count and commencement of trial on the second count.

The judge also ordered that Ohanebo be remanded in a correctional facility pending the continuation of the trial.