Businessman arrested for alleged $130m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has picked up a 62-year-old businessman, Alhaji Umar Audu Bida, for an alleged fraud involving $130m.

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde

The Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday that the commission was also investigating the businessman for alleged possession of some documents of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation for the supply of Crude oil to his American business partner, Donald Laletta, the Chief Executive Officer, Park LLLC.

Uwujaren said that the operatives of the EFCC arrested Umar in Kaduna on Tuesday for alleged possession of fake documents for the lifting of crude oil by some vessels.

The vessels are MT Antartic, MT Sonagol Namibe and MT Caped Bowen.

The EFCC‘s spokesman said that the suspect told his interrogators that he obtained the incriminating documents from the agent to a seller, Lambda, Double Wonder and Days Marines Services, who was alleged to have claimed to have crude oil for sale.

Uwujaren said that the CEO of the American firm had told the EFCC that the suspect allegedly attempted to defraud him after signing a Sale and Purchase Agreement with him.

He also claimed to have paid the suspects the sums of $8m, $10m and $12m on different occasions in addition to raising a letter of credit to the suspect’s firm via a courier company to the tune of $100m

Businessman arrested for alleged $130m fraud