Owuze Nwuche led Montego Upstream Services Limited is currently seeking to recover N130,099,967 allegedly misappropriated by three of its employees.

In an effort to retrieve the funds, the Nigeria Police’s Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) in Ikoyi, Lagos, apprehended three individuals suspected of the embezzlement.

Operatives of the PSFU arrested Philemon Obileku, Onyia Jude, and Sunday Okelezo.

The trio has been charged before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on counts of conspiracy and unlawful diversion of funds through price inflation and bribery.

During their arraignment, prosecutor Daniel Apochi informed the court that the accused, along with others still at large, conspired between 2022 and 2023 to unlawfully divert over N130 million while employed by Montego Upstream Services. The alleged scheme involved accepting bribes in exchange for inflating contract prices and issuing fraudulent orders.

Apochi further stated that the defendants’ actions contravened sections 18(a) and 18(1)(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended in 2012).

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their plea, the prosecutor requested a trial date and asked for the defendants to be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the case’s conclusion.

The defense counsel, Ademola Olabiyi, supported by B.J. Adegbesan, moved a bail application, noting the health condition of one of the defendants. Though initially unopposed, the prosecutor unexpectedly changed his stance and opposed the application after being prompted by the court.

Despite this, Justice Dipeolu ordered the defendants to be remanded in NCoS custody until September 20, when the court will determine their bail application.

The charges allege that between 2022 and 2023, the defendants conspired to fraudulently convert N130 million in bribes and kickbacks from Montego Upstream vendors, thereby committing offenses under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

More than 20 notable Nigerians are set to commence a class action against oil magnate and former Managing Director of Duport Midstream Company Limited, Akintoye Akindele, over alleged scam, running to over $150 million (over N240 billion).

A media practitioner, Mr. Lere Olayinka, who spoke on behalf of the victims disclosed that a senior lawyer based in Abuja has already been briefed to take action against the controversial businessman.

In recent time, Akindele, who is also the boss of Atlantic Refineries and Chairman of Platform Capital, has been in the eyes of storm with accusations and counter accusations bothering on misappropriation of funds, alleged shares racketeering, manipulating boards decision among other allegations.

On 1 March, 2024, Justice James Kolawole Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered the remand of Akindele at the Kuje Correctional Centre in the nation’s capital.

Justice Omotosho ruled that Akindele should remain in custody till 20 March 2024, when the court will consider documents confirming the perfection of the bail granted him earlier.

However, this planned class suit is coming a few weeks before Akindele’s trial in Lagos for an alleged malfeasance involving the diversion of $5,636,397.01, and N73,543,763.25, belonging to Summit Oil International Ltd, a company founded by the Late Philanthropist and Politician, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola and also bribery of the Police with N150 million.

The trial, which was moved to Lagos from Abuja in May, this year, will begin in Lagos on 3 October.

Justice Omotosho had on 9 May, 2024, ordered that the trial of Akindele in the alleged $5.6m fraud be moved from Abuja to the Lagos division of the court.

Akindele and his company, the second defendant in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/570/2023, were said to have committed the act between 2017 and 2021 when they allegedly converted the said sum received from Shell Petroleum Company into personal use.

Similarly, the oil magnate is also facing prosecution for allegedly bribing the police with N150 million to stall their further investigation of the case.

His trial for the alleged N150 million bribery will also commence in Lagos on 29 October 2024.

P.M.EXPRESS learnt that victims of Akindele’s various scams he allegedly perpetrated in the past have decided to take him head on for justice.

According to Olayinka, one of the victims, who is a notable player in the oil & gas industry initiated the move for the class action.

He opened a WhatsApp Platform to coordinate other victims.

Akindele’s trouble started early in the year when he was arrested by the Police in Abuja for allegedly fleecing Duport Midstream Company Limited of $25 million, part of which a sum of $5.6 million belonged to Summit Oil International.

Ever since, he has been in and out of the court.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 21 governorship election in Edo State, Dr Asue Ighodalo, has demanded the payment of N20 Billion in damages from Adams Oshiomhole, a chietain of the All progressives Congress (APC) and a sitting senator for malicious defamatory utterances made against him on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at a political campaign rally in Benin City.

Oshiomhole had recklessly accused Ighodalo of being the brain behind a ponzi scheme, ‘PLANWELL’, in which numerous Nigerians were defrauded of their hard earned funds in the past.

In a letter dated 16th September, 2024, and signed by Chief Ayo Asala, SAN, of Ayo Asala and Associates, titled “Re: Defamatory Statements Made In Respect Of Dr Asue Ighodalo”, the learned silk stated that:

“It is sad to note that despite your status as an elder and holder of a public office, you appear to have developed a pattern of spewing false statements in the public domain purely for the achievement of your political ends.

“This baseless, unfounded, false and malicious allegation has become another in a long line of such defamatory fabrications and statements made by you in respect of our client in the recent past.

“Our client is an accomplished Nigerian legal practitioner and a corporate leader whose impressive resume from birth up till the current day is entirely in the public domain and our client has absolutely no connection with and could never have been involved in any manner whatsoever with the purported ‘PLANWELL’ scheme with which you have seriously defamed our client’s reputation.

“It is clear that the fabrication of the unfounded and false story regarding the purported involvement of our client in the said ‘PLANWELL’ scheme or any other financial scheme whatsoever, is a figment of your imagination and a story fabricated purely for the purpose of denigrating the good character and reputation of our client for the achievement of the political purpose of advancing the sinking fortunes of your political party and candidate in the forthcoming Edo State Gubernatorial Elections.”

He went on to say that Ighodalo has been inundated with calls from concerned members of the public, associates, acquaintances and so many people as a result of Oshiomhole’s malicious accusations.

In consequence, the learned senior lawyer demanded “an immediate and unqualified retraction and apology for your false, defamatory and malicious statements which should be published in at least two national television networks and three nationally circulating newspapers.

” Pay to our client damages in the sum of N20 billion Naira for your false, defamatory and malicious statements referred to herein,” the letter read.

The letter further asserted that failure to comply with the above demands will lead to legal actions without further notice.

Ighodalo has consistently maintained that he knows nothing about the said ‘PLANWELL’, which his political opponents have been trying so viciously to tie around his neck.

Few weeks ago, the same Oshiomhole made some malicious and defamatory utterances against Ighodalo for which he has been slammed with a N20B libel suit. This is yet another in the case of Oshiomhole’s implacable determination to tarnish Ighodalo’s hard earned reputation.