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Dr John Abebe, an in-law to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment over his involvement in forgery and money laundering.
Dr Abebe was sent to prison by Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court after finding him guilty of the offence as made against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The sentencing is however with an option of a fine to the tune of N50m which is to be paid within 30 days.
The anti-graft agency had arraigned Dr Abebe, who is a younger brother to Stella Obasanjo, the late former first lady, on four counts bordering on forgery, fabricating evidence, using fabricated evidence and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
One of the counts read: “That you, Dr John Warimeme Abebe, on or about the 22nd day of June 2010 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly forged BP Exploration Nigeria Limited's letter dated 30th November 1995 to Inducon (Nigeria) Limited, by inserting in page 2 of the said letter the following words: “Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option' only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields” and purportedly to have been issued by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited and committed an offence contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
“Another count reads: ‘That you, Dr John Warimeme Abebe, on or about the 22nd day of June 2010 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly used fabricated evidence in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010, between Dr John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited and Statoil Nigeria Limited, before the Federal High Court, which evidence was admitted and marked exhibit BB in the said suit and committed an offence contrary to Section 120 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.’”
The EFCC had claimed that Abebe “knowingly forged” a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited to Inducon (Nigeria) Ltd.
The Commission had further claimed that Abebe “illegally inserted” into page 2 of the said letter the following statement: “Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields.”
Dr Abebe, it was alleged by the EFCC, equally attempted to “pervert the course of justice” by tendering the allegedly forged November 30, 1995 letter “as fabricated evidence” in court, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010 between Dr John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited and Statoil Nigeria Limited.
But Abebe had pleaded not guilty to the charge as made against him by the EFCC.
However, in handing down her judgment, Justice Dada declared that the prosecution has been able to establish its case against the convict beyond a reasonable doubt.
The anti-graft agency, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, had docked the convicted Abebe on July 26, 2018, on the offence.
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