By Olatunbosun Obafemi
A Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced Mamman Ali, son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Ahmadu Ali, to 14 years in prison for his involvement in a ₦2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud.
Also convicted and sentenced was Christian Taylor, an oil marketer and Ali’s co-defendant in the case brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Both men were found guilty of multiple charges, including conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences, obtaining by false pretences, forgery, and the use of false documents—all offences under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The EFCC initially arraigned the defendants on a 49-count charge in 2015, which was later amended to 57 counts following developments in the trial. Both Ali and Taylor pleaded not guilty.
According to EFCC prosecutor Seiduh Atteh, the defendants fraudulently obtained ₦1.48 billion from the federal government through the Petroleum Support Fund, falsely claiming it was payment for importing over 20 million litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) via their company, Nasaman Oil Services Ltd. The court found that the fuel was never imported and the claims were entirely fabricated.
The case began under Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo but was later reassigned to Justice Mojisola Dada after Onigbanjo recused himself. Justice Dada presided over the re-arraigned defendants and admitted both documentary evidence and witness testimonies provided by the EFCC.
In her ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Dada held that the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt, describing the actions of the defendants as “a serious breach of public trust.”
The sentencing marks a significant moment in Nigeria’s long-running efforts to prosecute high-profile cases related to the country’s controversial fuel subsidy regime, which has been plagued by allegations of corruption and fraud.
