December 20, 2021

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa  was physically in court on Monday to continue his testimony in the alleged N1.4billion fuel subsidy fraud trial of Abubakar Ali Peters and his company, Nadabo Energy Limited.

The long-drawn case revolved around the plethora of oil subsidy deals during the era of estranged fugitive and ex-minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.

Bawa who looked sharp in his body-hugging suit walked briskly into the court room to testify before Justice Christopher Balogun of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja.

Bawa is the star prosecution witness in the case.

The EFCC boss had in earlier testimony chronicled details of how the EFCC conducted its investigations and uncovered the alleged fraud whereupon the court  admitted in evidence several documents as proof of the alleged fraud.

Led in evidence by the Counsel to the Commission, Mr Seidu Atteh, the EFFC Chairman narrated how the commission in 2012 received a complaint from Diezani, alleging fraud in the importation of PMS by the firm Nadabo Energy Limited.

It equally received a petition from the law firm of Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana.

Abubakar Ali Peters who is no relation to Benedict Peters of Aiteo Group, and his company had been fingered as part of a cartel that allegedly used the pretext of oil subsidy to cream off billions of naira from the national treasury.

But watchers of the case claim that EFCC should look beyond staff of Nadabo Energy and focus of EFCC staff, CBN staff and top officials of NNPC and the Ministry of Petroleum whom they claim may be complicit in the deals.