The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken legal action against the Chief Executive Officer of Orimiri Oil and Gas, Mr. Philip Ifejimalu Eze, and his company, over an alleged N63 million petroleum fraud involving a failed diesel supply deal.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the anti-graft agency confirmed that its Abuja Zonal Directorate arraigned Eze and Orimiri Oil and Gas before Justice A.H. Musa at the Federal Capital Territory High Court, sitting in Apo, Abuja, on Monday, July 21, 2025.
The EFCC accused Eze of defrauding a business partner, Chief Amech Nduka of Amatex Oil and Gas, by inducing him to supply 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly referred to as diesel, under false pretenses.
According to the details of the charge, the transaction was secured with a cheque issued from a defunct bank, Mainstreet Bank Plc. The cheque was rejected when presented at Zenith Bank Plc, exposing the fraudulent intent behind the transaction.
The official charge read: “That you, Philip Ifejimalu Eze, while serving as Managing Director of Orimiri Oil and Gas, sometime in 2024 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, induced one Chief Amech Nduka of Amatex Oil and Gas to deliver 45,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil valued at N63,000,000. The payment was made using a Mainstreet Bank Plc cheque, a bank that had already been liquidated, and which was rejected at Zenith Bank Plc. You knew this representation was false, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
Eze, when arraigned, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge brought against him.
In response, the EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Mariya Ujudud Shariff, requested the court to fix a date for trial proceedings to begin.
Justice Musa thereafter ruled that Eze be granted bail, albeit under strict terms. The court specified that the defendant must provide two sureties.
The first surety must be a government employee on not less than Grade Level 12 and must submit a letter of introduction from their employer. The court registrar is required to verify the authenticity of the letter.
The second surety is expected to be a property owner residing within the court’s jurisdiction. He or she must submit an affidavit and sign a bail bond worth N2 million.
Following the bail ruling, the court adjourned the case to November 11, 2025, for trial to commence.
Stay updated with more breaking news via our official WhatsApp channel:
🔗 https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VabITrvEAKW7DSkTfP0J
© Chronicles Reporters