The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned two business owners, Gidado Ibrahim and Halimat Adenike Tejusho, who is currently at large, over an alleged multi-million naira fraud involving a fake job placement scheme linked to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
They were arraigned on an amended six-count charge, which includes offences of fraud, obtaining money under false pretence, and forgery, involving a total sum of over ₦600 million.
During the arraignment on Monday, the prosecution counsel Y. Tarfa drew the attention of the court to an amended six count charge, urging the court to allow the defendant to take his plea.
one of the charge reads: That you GIDADO IBRAHIM and HALIMAT ADENIKE TEJUSHO O (now at large) between August 2024 to October 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court obtained the sum of N603, 400,000.00. (Six Hundred and Three Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira) from OLUSEYE YOMI – SHOLOYE under the false pretence that you will facilitate her appointment as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
Count two of the charge also reads “That you, GIDADO IBRAHIM sometime in August, 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court did use as genuine a forged document titled “Presidential Villa State House, OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER” when you knew or had reason to believe it to be forged and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 364 of the same Law.
After the charges were read to the defendants in the languages they understood, they pleaded not guilty to all the offences.
In response, the defence counsel B. B. Alhaji informed the court of a pending bail application, noting that although the application was not yet ripe for hearing, the defendant should be remanded in EFCC custody due to his health condition pending the hearing and ruling on the bail request.
Consequently, Justice Muazu adjourned the matter to February 17, 2026 for hearing of application while ordering the defendant to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Facility.
