Fuel Subsidy Fraud Suspect Dies

A fuel subsidy suspect, Opeyemi Ajuyah, who was facing an eight-count amended charge before an Ikeja High Court over allegation of N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud is dead
 The deceased, alongside with other suspects were first arraigned before the same court for allegedly obtaining the sum of N1,1billion fraudulently as subsidy payments

A fuel subsidy suspect, Opeyemi Ajuyah, has been reported dead following an unknown ailment.

Details of her death were still sketchy as at the time of filing this report.

Premium Times reports that Ajuyah was facing an eight-count amended charge alongside Abdullahi, son of late prominent businessman, Abdullazeez Arisekola-Alao, and Olanrewaju Olalusi before an Ikeja High Court over allegation of N1.1 billion fuel subsidy fraud.

They were charged alongside their companies, Majope Investment Limited and Axenergy Limited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

It should be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 22, 2016, re-arraigned Opeyemi Ajuah, Majope Investment, Abdullah Alao, Axenergy, and Olarenwaju Olalusi before Justice Lateefa Okunnu of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, on eight-count amended charge of conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money under false pretense.

The suspects were first arraigned before the same court for allegedly obtaining the sum of N1,110,049,444.35 (One Billion, One Hundred and Ten Million, Forty Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty- Four Naira, Thirty- Five kobo) fraudulently as subsidy payments for 15,206,733 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the Federal Government.

At the re- arraignment, prosecuting counsel, Seidu Atteh, brought before an amended eight- count charge against the suspects, alleging that they obtained the sum of N798,984,707.35 ( Seven Hundred and Ninety Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand, Seven Hundred and Seven Naira, Thirty Five kobo) from the Federal government in unearned subsidy payments for 20,386,583 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

All the three accused persons and their companies pleaded not guilty to the charges.

One of the charges reads: "You Opeyemi Ajuyah, Majope investment, Abdullahi Alao, Axenergy and Olarenwaju Olalusi on or about the 18th day of April, 2011 at Lagos within the Ikeja judicial division with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N798,984,707.35 from the Federal government of Nigeria by falsely claiming that the sum represented subsidy that accrued to Majope Investment Limited under the Petroleum Support Fund for the importation of 20,386,583 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) as discharged at Lister terminal in Apapa, Lagos whereas you only discharged 5,712,851 liters at the said Lister Terminal through MT Brave daughter vessel which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud And Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006”.