Justice U. N. Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Wednesday, 6 December, 2017 convicted and sentenced Abubakar Shuaib Dogara, Managing Director, Dogab Oil Limited, to ten( 10) years imprisonment, without an option of fine, for forgery and obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N5, 550, 000.00k( Five Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only).
The convict was arraigned 18 March, 2013 on an 11-count amended charge bordering on forgery and obtaining money by false pretence, brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and the matter went into full trial.
Justice Agumoh found Dogara guilty on all the eleven- counts and consequently convicted and sentenced him to ten years imprisonment on each of the charges without an option of fine. The convict has earlier paid Two Million Naira (N2, 000,000.00) to the victim. The judge also ordered the restitution of the remaining balance of the money to the victim, within one year from the date of conviction.
Dogara’s journey to prison started sometime in September 2009, when he approached one company (West Energy Limited) for the supply of Bonny Light Crude Oil (BLCO). The company offered to buy the oil from him and mobilized him to the tune of N5, 550,000.00k( Five Million, Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only). However, Dogara neither supplied the oil nor returned the money to the company.
One of the counts read: “that you Abubakar Shuaib Dogara, Dogab Oil Limited, Abubakar Maaji, Prince C. A. Abolo (now at large) and one G. O. N. Bupo now at large on or about the month of September 2006 at Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire with each other to obtain money from WEST ENERGY LIMITED by False Pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to 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.
Another count reads: “ that you Abubakar Shuaib Dogara and DOGAB OIL LIMITED, on or about 15th November, 2006 at Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did utter a forged document to wit: REVOCATION OF SALES AGREEMENT purportedly issued by NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC) to the President /CEO WEST ENERGY LIMITED with intent that it may be acted upon as genuine which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2007 and punishable under section 1 (2) of the same Act”.
