The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a businessman, Wilson Opuwei, alongside his company, Dateline Energy Services Ltd., over an alleged $550,000 fraud linked to petroleum product allocations.
The arraignment took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, according to a statement issued by the anti-graft agency.
The case relates to alleged offences dating back to 2011 and centres on accusations of obtaining money under false pretences in connection with the purported allocation of petroleum products.
The EFCC said Opuwei and his company were docked on a four-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretences and stealing. According to the charges, the defendants allegedly obtained funds from a businessman, Prince Donatus Okonkwo, by falsely claiming the money was payment for the allocation of 5,000 metric tonnes of Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK) from the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC).
One of the counts alleges that in April 2011, the defendants fraudulently obtained $500,000 through an intermediary, Chimaobi Anyast, under the pretence that the sum was payment for the DPK allocation. Another count accuses them of similarly obtaining an additional $50,000 as part payment for the same allocation, a claim the EFCC said was knowingly false.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read in court.
Providing background to the case, the EFCC disclosed that Opuwei was first arraigned on May 23, 2011, before Justice Habeeb Abiru of the Lagos State High Court. The matter was later transferred to Justice Abike-Fadipe for the trial to begin afresh.
According to the prosecution, led by Nwandu Ukoha, holding brief for Fadeke Giwa, the prosecution had closed its case as far back as 2015, but the defence failed to open its case, necessitating a restart of the trial. The commission said the case suffered prolonged delays due to the elevation of successive judges and alleged delays by the defence. Judges who previously handled the matter were later elevated to higher courts, contributing to the stalled proceedings.
On bail status, counsel to the defendant informed the court that Opuwei had earlier been admitted to bail on May 22, 2012, and requested that the existing bail conditions be maintained.
In his ruling, Justice Abike-Fadipe ordered that the defendant should continue on the earlier bail terms and adjourned the matter to March 19, 30, and 31, as well as April 1 and 2, 2026, for continuation of trial.
The case adds to a growing list of fraud-related prosecutions by the EFCC involving business figures and corporate entities. In recent years, the commission has intensified efforts to prosecute alleged financial crimes, including high-profile cases involving large sums of money across different sectors of the economy.
Emmanuel Bassey is a Financial Expert that has worked in the Banking and Finance Industry for over 15+ years across different banks in Nigeria
