Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission have arrested a 30-year-old businessman, Onwughalu Chikodi Godwin, for allegedly stealing vegetable oil worth N30,853,800 belonging to Bro-kenn Agro Allied Industries, a company engaged in the refining and processing of vegetable oil. The suspect, who was a major customer of the company, allegedly conspired with others still at large to defraud the company of the said sum, being the value of oil stolen from the factory between January 9, 2024, and May 26, 2025. The arrest was confirmed in a statement by the EFCC's Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday.
According to the counsel to the company, Dr. Mazi Udegbulem, the suspect and his cohorts fraudulently manipulated the refinery's weighbridge system to facilitate and conceal their unlawful activities. The scheme involved filling jerry cans with water to manipulate weighbridge readings, draining the water at the refinery, and refilling the jerry cans with stolen vegetable oil. The company's standard practice required that vehicles coming to lift oil which had been paid for by a customer be inspected at the entrance and weighed at the weighbridge. After recording the initial weight, the oil would be loaded, and the vehicle would be taken back to the weighbridge to ascertain the weight after loading. The difference between the empty vehicle and the loaded vehicle determined the net weight and the value of the oil loaded.
Udegbulem further alleged that in May 2025, the company noticed the fraudulent scheme being perpetrated by the suspect and his cohorts. One month later, the suspect visited the company with his Sienna bus loaded with 115 gallons of empty jerry cans, out of which 40 jerry cans were filled with water. The suspect allegedly paid for one ton of oil, which would typically fill 63 gallons of 18 litres each. However, by coming with 115 gallons, Godwin was aware that the extra gallons would be too much for the one ton of oil he had paid for. The extra 52 gallons were intended to carry stolen oil from the factory. On that day, out of 115 gallons, 40 were filled with water, which manipulated the weighbridge and allowed the vehicle to pass and load oil. However, the company was already on red alert, and the vehicle was inspected. The 40 gallons were found to be filled with water. The difference between the first weight, when the vehicle had 40 gallons of water, and the second weight, after the water was removed, was 960 kilograms—the exact weight meant to dupe the company. The market value of 960 kilograms of oil at the time was N2,496,000, approximately the amount the company lost on each trip Godwin visited the factory to buy oil between January 2024 and May 2025.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect and his cohorts gained the confidence and trust of the company and allegedly exploited that trust with the intent to defraud it. The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded. The EFCC's action underscores the Commission's commitment to tackling all forms of economic and financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering, and other sharp practices that undermine the integrity of Nigeria's business environment.
The arrest of Godwin is the latest in a series of enforcement actions by the EFCC's Enugu Zonal Directorate. Earlier this month, operatives of the same directorate arrested nine suspected internet fraudsters in Enugu, recovering several luxury vehicles, laptops, and mobile phones. The suspects are being investigated for alleged involvement in various internet-related offences. In a related development, the EFCC secured the conviction of two individuals, Samuel Daramola and Ogunyemi Opeyemi Adegoke, for criminal impersonation and obtaining by false pretence in separate cases before Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court in Ibadan. Daramola was sentenced to three years imprisonment with an option of a N300,000 fine, while Adegoke was sentenced to two years imprisonment with an option of a N250,000 fine.
The Commission has continued to intensify its fight against economic and financial crimes across the country, with operatives carrying out raids, arrests, and prosecutions to enforce compliance with the law and protect the integrity of Nigeria's financial system and business environment. The EFCC has also stepped up its public awareness campaigns, advising individuals and corporate entities to adhere to financial regulations and avoid fraudulent activities. As the investigation into Godwin's case continues, the EFCC has assured members of the public that it will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all those involved in the alleged fraud are identified, arrested, and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
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