Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja, has dismissed a no-case submission filed by Chinedu Justin and his firm, GIL Energy Services Limited, ruling that the prosecution established a prima facie case against them.
The defendants are standing trial on charges brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over alleged fraud.
In her ruling, Justice Dada held that the EFCC led sufficient evidence linking the defendants to the alleged offences and consequently ordered them to open their defence.
Chinedu Justin and GIL Energy Services Limited are being prosecuted on a six-count amended charge dated December 11, 2023, bordering on stealing, contrary to Section 287(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and issuance of dishonoured cheques, contrary to Section 1(1)(b) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the counts, prompting the commencement of trial, with the first defendant representing the company.
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To establish its case, the prosecution, led by counsel Owede Spiff, called four witnesses and tendered several documents, including the extra-judicial statement of the first defendant. The prosecution closed its case on October 13, 2025.
Following this, the defence filed a no-case submission dated November 3, 2025, urging the court to discharge the defendants on the grounds that the matter was a civil dispute arising from a loan transaction and that the prosecution failed to make out a prima facie case.
Justice Dada, however, rejected the argument, holding that the evidence before the court disclosed issues that required the defendants to answer.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter to March 26, 2026, for the defence to open its case.
One of the counts alleges that the defendants, on or about December 2, 2021, in Lagos, converted to their own use the sum of N65 million belonging to Cool Financial Services Limited. Another count alleges the conversion of an additional N10 million belonging to the same company on or about May 5, 2022.
