Alleged N48.8bn Fraud: EFCC To Arraign Bizman Ibeto, Companies Today

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, will today, Thursday, October 5th, arraign popular businessman, Chief Cletus Ibeto before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged N4.8 billion fraud.

The EFCC will dock the businessman alongside his companies, Ibeto Energy Development Company and Odoh Holdings Ltd before the court on a 10-count charge bordering on allegations of conspiracy, fraud, forgery and fraudulent use of documents.

They are to be arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu.

The charge sheet sighted by LEADERSHIP was signed in April 2023 by the Head, Legal of the EFCC, Gbolahan Latona.

Count 1 of the charge says that Chief Cletus Ibeto, Ibeto Energy Development Ltd and Odoh Holdings Ltd between June 2016 & May 2017 within the jurisdiction of the court by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained from Dozzy Oil & Gas Ltd and Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, the sum of N4.8bn purporting same to be consideration for 22.6536 Hectares of land which he claimed to have at the end of Reclamation Road Layout, Port Harcourt, Rivers State by a deed of sublease executed by Odoh Holdings and. ibeto Energy Development Ltd when he only had 7.9 hectares of the said land.

Count 2 states that the defendants obtained N2.5bn from their victim as consideration for a non-existent 14.1 hectares of land while count 3 claims that they forged certain documents.

The offences are contrary to Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006, Section 365(3d) & (e) & 366 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015