Seven employees of Dangote Sugar Refi nery Company and a businessman were yesterday hauled up before an Ikeja High Court over alleged theft of N451 million belonging to the company. Th e accused are Musa Sule, Joseph Ukpah, Babatunde Ajao, Chinedu Onyekwere, Ezekiel Omoro, Rahman Alayande and Odion Abugba.
Th e News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that two other staff members — Zainab Adebanjo and Manir Mohammed — now on the run, are being hunted by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Ikoyi, Lagos. A businessman, Habib Mande, alongside his company — El-Habib Property Nigeria Ltd. — was also arraigned with the staff ers. Th ey are facing an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and forgery and uttering of false documents.
Th e accused, however, denied all the charges. Th e prosecutor, Mr. E. A. Jackson, said the defendants committed the off ences between 2012 and 2016 at Dangote Sugar Refi nery Company, Apapa, Lagos. “Mande, a businessman, who has previously had dealings with the company, conspired with the other defendants and stole N451 million, property of Dangote Sugar Refi nery. “On November 30, 2015, September 7, 2015 and April 26, 2016, they forged and uttered false cheque requisition forms with numbers 132243, 132229 and 132279, respectively.
“Th eir intention was that these documents may be used or acted upon by offi cers of Dangote Sugar Refi nery Plc as genuine to the prejudice of the company,” he said. According to the petition, the audit revealed that N67.9 million was illegally taken from the company’s account and paid into the account of El-Habib Property Nig. Ltd., a company belonging to Mande. According to the prosecution, the off ences violated Sections 390 (9), 465, 467, 468 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Th e vacation judge, Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya, noted that the defendants were still on police bail granted by the SFU. She adjourned the case till September 22, for argument on their bail applications
