The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday arraigned Gidado Ibrahim before Justice H. Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, over an alleged N603.4 million job scam involving a purported appointment into the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Ibrahim was arraigned alongside Halimat Adenike Tejusho, who is currently at large, on an amended six-count charge bordering on fraud, obtaining by false pretence, and forgery.
At the court proceedings, prosecution counsel, Y. Tarfa, drew the court’s attention to the amended six-count charge and urged the court to allow the defendant to take his plea.
According to the EFCC, the defendants allegedly obtained the sum of N603,400,000 from one Oluseye Yomi-Sholoye between August and October 2024 under the guise of facilitating her appointment as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the NNPC.
Count one of the charge reads, “That you Gidado Ibrahim and Halimat Adenike Tejusho (now at large) between August 2024 to October 2024 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court obtained the sum of N603,400,000 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.”
The anti-graft agency further alleged that Ibrahim used a forged document purportedly titled “Presidential Villa State House, Office of the National Security Adviser” as genuine, knowing or having reason to believe it was forged.
Count two of the charge states, “That you, Gidado Ibrahim, sometime in August 2024 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable 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.”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to all six counts when they were read to him.
Following his plea, Tarfa urged the court to fix a trial date and order the remand of the defendant in a correctional centre.
Counsel to the defendant, B.B. Alhaji, informed the court that a bail application had been filed, although it was not yet ripe for hearing. He, however, requested that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody on health grounds pending the hearing and determination of the bail application.
In his ruling, Justice Muazu adjourned the matter to February 17, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in Kuje Correctional Facility.
