…As Group drags Shell to court over alleged missing N5trn oil revenue***
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) on Monday, re-arraigned former Governor of Benue, Gabriel Suswam on a nine-count charge bordering on money laundering at the Federal High Court Abuja.
Suswam, a serving senator, was re-arraigned before Justice Okon Abang alongside Omadachi Oklobia who was the Commissioner of Finance in Benue when he was governor.
The duo pleaded not guilty to all charges and were granted bail based on terms earlier granted by Justice Ahmed Mohammed after they were arraigned before him in 2015.
Justice Abang asked counsel in the matter to cooperate with the court warning that he would not entertain any frivolous applications for adjournment.
Abang took over the trial of Suswam, following the withdrawal of Justice Mohammed from the trial.
Mohammed had cited a publication by Sahara Reporters which accused him of having been compromised to give Suswam a soft landing as his reason to withdraw from the case.
Suswam had challenged the jurisdiction of the court presided over by Justice Abang to handle the matter.
His counsel, Ms Chinelo Ugbozor had arfued on his behalf that the matter had already commenced in another court and four witnesses had been called.
However, counsel to the EFCC, O.A Atolagbe maintained that a judge could not be compelled to handle a matter.
Atolagbe reminded the court that since it was the second time, Justice Mohammed was withdrawing from the case, he could not be compelled to hear it.
The EFCC is prosecuting Suswam and Oklobia on nine counts of money laundering bordering on the alleged diversion of N3.1billion from the proceeds of the sale of shares owned by the Benue Government since 2015.
The matter has been adjourned until Oct. 29, Oct. 30 and October 31.
Also read: Provost FSMLT, 4 others siphoned N359m through fraudulent contracts – EFCC detective
In another development, the Council of Ethnic Youth Leaders of Nigeria has filed a suit at the Federal High Court Abuja against Shell Petroleum Development Company, over alleged missing N5 trillion, oil revenue.
The group, in the suit, alleged that Nigeria has lost huge revenue due to what it described as illicit activities of Shell at the Forcados and Bonny terminals to the tune of N5 trillion.
Convener of the group, Mr Tochukwu Ohazurike, sueing as plaintiff, also joined the Federal Government as 1st defendant.
Ohazurike wants the court to declare that the legal interest, ownership and control of all hydrocarbon including petroleum products in, under and upon the land in Nigeria is invested in the Federal Government; and by virtue of which it can appropriate, use or in any other manner whatsoever exercise or demonstrate incidents of ownership or control thereof.
“A declaration that based on the declining remittance and/or under declaration of earnings or revenue from crude oil exploration, production, exportation and shipment by Shell from its Forcados and Bonny Terminals, occasioned by acts of economic sabotage against the Nigeria, the Federal Government as a sovereign entity has a duty to nationalise or take over Shell’s investment or interest in or over the Forcados and Bonny Terminals on grounds of public purpose.’
The plaintiff is also asking for an order compelling and directing the Federal Government to nationalise or take over the investment or interest of Shell in or over the Forcados and Bonny Terminals.
He said this was on grounds of public purpose and national interest as a measure of curbing the economic sabotage of loss of revenue, non-remittance and under-declaration of the crude oil export or shipment from the Forcados and Bonny export terminals.
Alternatively, the plaintiff is praying for an order compelling and directing the Federal Government to duly regulate or in any other manner, exercise appropriate sovereign control over the operations of Shell.
This, he said was with a view to curbing the economic sabotage of the accruable revenue to Nigeria from crude on export or shipment from the Forcados and Bonny export terminals.
It will be recalled that an environmental activist, Mr Anderson Achilike had on Sept. 25, filled similar charges against Shell.
Achilike had asked the court to order the EFCC to probe the activities of Shell.
The matter has yet to be assigned to a judge.