The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Port-Harcourt's Zonal Office,   on Tuesday, February 12,  2019 arraigned the trio of Martins Derisoma Ogbanga, Busari Adeyemi, Uwem Sunday Assan and a company: Dempo Resources Ltd.,  before  Justice I.M Sani of the Federal High Court, sitting in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

They were arraigned on a 19-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences to the tune of N50million, contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

Ogbanga and others got into trouble when they allegedly approached their victim with an offer to supply 1.8million barrels of crude oil to him, at the cost of N50million. To convince the victim on the genuineness of the offer, the suspects allegedly presented several documents purportedly from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC. These include: Certificate of Origin, Certificate of Quality and Authority To Sell Cargo On Board MT Cosmic Jewel. Others include: Clearance for Inspection/Super Cargo On Board MT Maritime Jewel, Documentation Receipt, Cargo Manifest and Master's Receipt For Samples.

Convinced by the forged documents, the victim allegedly raised the money for the supply of the crude oil through a bank loan, only to discover that the offer was a scam.  
All the three suspects pleaded "not guilty" to the 19-count charges when they were read to them.

Count One reads: "That you, Martins Derisoma Ogbanga “M” being the Managing Director of Dempo Resources International Ltd, Busari Adeyemi and Uwem Sunday Assan, sometime in the month of October, 2014 in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire with one another to commit a felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
In view of the not guilty plea by the accused persons, the EFCC prosecuting counsel, Rashidat E. Alao applied for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody.

The defence counsel, S. A Somiari on the other hand, applied for bail for his clients but was opposed by the prosecuting counsel who argued that she was served the bail applications in court and needed time to respond to them.  She further informed the court that the first defendant, Mr Ogbanga once jumped an administrative bail offered him by the EFCC.

Justice Sani adjourned the matter to Friday, February 15, 2019 for hearing of the bail applications and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody.

Media & Publicity
February 6, 2019