Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, today fixed fresh arraignment of four directors of Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited for March 28, 2025 over alleged £2.6 billion fraud.
The court adjourned arraignment after it was clear that only three out of the five defendants were duly served with court summons.
The defendants are 1st, Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited (1st), Abayomi Kukoyi 92nd), Prince Kingsley Okpala 3rd), Prince Chidi Okpalaele (4th) and Prince Emmanuel Okpalaele (5th).
The Defendants who are company directors of Petro Union Oil and Gas Limited (1st Defendant), alongside Prince Isaac Okpala (now deceased) and Princess Gladys Okpalaeze (now at large), were alleged to have fraudulently procured a Barclay’s Bank cheque dated 29th December, 1994 for £2,556,000, 000.00 to Union Bank of Nigeria Plc and under the pretext that it was meant for the construction of three (3) petrochemical refinery complexes in Nigeria.
The Defendants were also alleged to have forged a statement of account in the name of Goldmatic Limited, purportedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in an attempt to obtain the sum of £2,159,221,313.54 billion.
They were alleged to have committed these offences between 1994 and 2007.
At the mention of the case, lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, appeared for the prosecution, while Mr. Olubiyi Adediji appeared for 1st and 3rd Defendants. But there was no appearance for 4th and 5th Defendants.
It would be recalled that trial of the defendants, who had earlier been arraigned before Justice Mohammed Liman of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, had reached the stage where the prosecution had closed its case.
The defendants, instead of entering a Defence, filed a no-case submission, which was overruled by the judge, who then ordered them to enter a defence.
Coincidentally, Justice Liman was elevated to the Court of Appeal, prompting re-assignment of the matter to the new trial Judge Aneke who is starting the case de novo.
THE CHARGES AS FILED BEFORE THE COURT:
COUNT 1
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 29th December,1994, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently procured a Barclays Bank’s cheque dated 29th December, 1994 for £2,556,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Six Million Pounds) made payable to GLADSTONE KUKOYI & ASSOCIATES, purporting the said cheque to be meant for foreign investment in the construction of 3 refineries and petrochemical complex in Nigeria, when you knew the said cheque to be unlawfully procured and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 2
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 29th December,1994, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently uttered a Barclays Bank’s cheque dated 29th December, 1994 for £2,556,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Six Million Pounds) to Union Bank Pic made payable to GLADSTONE KUKOYI & ASSOCIATES, purporting the said cheque to be meant for foreign investment in the construction of 3 refineries and petrochemical complex in Nigeria, when you knew the said cheque to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 3
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 29th December,1994, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this 29th December, 1994 for £2,556,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Six Million Pounds) made payable to GLADSTONE KUKOYI & ASSOCIATES, when you knew the said cheque to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (2) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 4
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about December, 1994, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, attempted to commit a felony to wit: obtaining money by false pretence, by presenting a Barclays Bank’s cheque dated 29th December, 1994 for £2,556,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Six Million Pounds) to Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. which cheque you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 509 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 5
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, PRINCE KINGSLEY OKPALA, PRINCE CHIDI OKPALAEZE, PRINCE EMMANUEL OKPALAEZE AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) at various times between 2006 and 2020, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud attempted to commit a felony, to wit, obtaining money by false pretence by demanding from the Central Bank of Nigeria the sum of £2,159,221,313.54 (Two Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirteen Pounds and Fifty Four Shillings) as proceeds of the Barclays Bank’s Cheque dated 29th December, 1994 which cheque you knew had been collected from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Petro Oil and Gas Union Ltd on 19th December, 2005, and you thereby committed an offence under Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
COUNT 6
THAT you KUKOYI, PRINCE KINGSLEY OKPALA, PRINCE CHIDI OKPALAEZE, OKPALAEZE (Now at large) at various times between 2006 and intent to defraud attempted to commit a felony, to wit, obtaining money by false pretence by demanding from Union Bank of Nigeria Plc the sum of £2,556,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty Six Million Pounds) as proceeds of the Barclays Bank’s Cheque dated 29th December, 1994 which cheque you knew had been collected from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by Petro Oil and Gas Union Ltd on 19th December, 2005, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under 1(3) of the same Act.
COUNT 7
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large)on or about 10th April, 2007, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, forged a certain document, to wit: Statement of Account in the name of Goldmatic Limited purportedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria with Account Number:10382175 wherein you falsely claimed that the Central Bank had in its custody, the sum of £2,159,221,313.54 (Two Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirteen Pounds and Fifty Four Shillings) in favour of Goldmatic Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 467(2) of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 8
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large)on or about 10th April, 2007, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, uttered a certain document, to wit: statement of account in the name of Goldmatic Limited purportedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria with Account Number: 10382175 to Union Bank of Nigeria Plc. wherein you falsely claimed that the Central Bank had in its custody, the sum of £2,159,221,313.54 (Two Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirteen Pounds and Fifty Four Shillings) in favour of Goldmatic Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 468 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 9
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, ABAYOMI KUKOYI, AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large)on or about 10th April, 2007, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, uttered a certain document, to wit: statement of account in the name of Goldmatic Limited purportedly issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria with Account Number: 10382175 to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission wherein you falsely claimed that the Central Bank had in its custody, the sum of £2, 159,221,313.54 (Two Billion, One Hundred and Fifty Nine Million, Two Hundred and Twenty One Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirteen Pounds and Fifty Four Shillings) in favour of Goldmatic Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 468 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 10
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, PRINCE KINGSLEY OKPALAEZE, PRINCE CHIDI OKPALAEZE, PRINCE EMMANUEL OKPALAEZE AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 18th March, 2015, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, forged a certain document, to wit Annual Returns for a small Company (Form CAC10) purportedly executed on 18th March, 2015 by Isaac Okpalaze wherein you falsely claimed that Isaac Okpalaze who died in 2010 did sign the said Form CAC10 on 18th March, 2015 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 467(2) of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 11
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, PRINCE KINGSLEY OKPALA, PRINCE CHIDI OKPALAEZE, PRINCE EMMANUEL OKPALAEZE AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 9th April, 2015, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, uttered a certain document, to wit: Annual Returns for a small Company (Form CAC10) to Corporate Affairs Commission wherein you falsely claimed that Isaac Okpalaze who died in 2010 did sign the said Form CAC10 thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 468 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 12
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, PRINCE KINGSLEY OKPALA, PRINCE CHIDI OKPALAEZE, PRINCE EMMANUEL OKPALAEZE AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 13th October, 2015, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, forged a certain document, to wit: Letter of relinquishment of shares purportedly issued by Isaac Okpalaeze relinquishing all the 2,500,000 Ordinary shares held by him in Petro Union Oil & Gas Company Limited back to the company when the said Isaac Okpalaeze died since 2010 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 467(2) of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
COUNT 13
That you PETRO UNION OIL & GAS COMPANY LIMITED, PRINCE KINGSLEY OKPALA, PRINCE CHIDI OKPALAEZE, PRINCE EMMANUEL OKPALAEZE AND PRINCESS GLADYS OKPALAEZE (Now at large) on or about 13th October, 2015, at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, uttered to the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria, a certain document, to wit: Letter of relinquishment of shares purportedly issued by Isaac Okpalaeze relinquishing all the 2,500,000 Ordinary shares held by him in Petro Union Oil & Gas Company Limited back to the company when the said Isaac Okpalaeze died since 2010 and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 468 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section.
