An Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos has sentenced Mamman Nasir Ali, son of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Ahmadu Ali, and Christian Taylor, a Sierra Leonean, to 14 years imprisonment each for their involvement in a ₦2.2 billion oil subsidy fraud. The judgment was delivered by Justice Mojisola Dada on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, after a protracted trial spanning over a decade
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged the defendants alongside their company, Nasaman Oil Services Limited, on an amended 57-count charge including conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, and use of false documents. The charges relate to a fraudulent claim of subsidy funds from the Federal Government under the petroleum subsidy scheme, allegedly made around September 9, 2011
According to the prosecution, the convicts submitted forged documents, notably a falsified “Gasoline Analysis” report for the vessel MT Overseas Limar, purportedly issued by Saybolt Concremat, to support their subsidy claims. The EFCC argued these acts violated the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011
Justice Dada found the evidence presented by the EFCC compelling and ruled that the defendants’ actions not only defrauded the Nigerian government of ₦2.2 billion but also undermined the integrity of the country’s oil subsidy programme. Consequently, she convicted and sentenced Mamman Ali, Christian Taylor, and Nasaman Oil Services Limited to 14 years imprisonment each on all counts
In addition to the jail terms, the court ordered the forfeiture of assets and bank accounts linked to the fraud. The judge also issued arrest warrants for two other suspects still at large, Oluwaseun Ogunbambo and Olabisi Abdul-Afeez, who were implicated in the case.
This case is part of a broader crackdown on subsidy fraud that has drawn public outrage and scrutiny over the years, especially following the controversial fuel subsidy regime in Nigeria. The trial, which began with the defendants’ arraignment in 2012 on a 49-count charge, was extended due to fresh revelations leading to the amended charges in 2025.
