A Federal High Court in Lagos, has sentenced a former Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Executive Director, Captain Ezekiel Bala Agaba, to seven years imprisonment for laundering about 1.6billion naira.
Justice Ibrahim Buba found Agaba guilty of the seven counts charge of conversion and criminal breach of trust filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The judge held that the EFCC had proved beyond reasonable doubt that the convict stole the said sum from NIMASA while he was in charge of Maritime, Safety and Shipping.
He sentenced Agaba to seven years imprisonment on each of the seven counts while directing that the sentences are to run concurrently with effect from today (Wednesday).
Justice Buba however declined the application of EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo for the forfeiture of property allegedly bought by Agaba from the proceeds of the laundering.
He upheld the submission of the Agaba’s counsel Mr Oyeneke that the property is the subject of another suit at the Federal High Court.
Mr. Oyeneke had also in his allocutus prayed that the court to order a non-custidial sentencing for Agaba, in view of his age being in the high risk category for COVID-19 infection in prison.
“In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, counsel should consider approaching the state for pardon for the convict,” the judge added.
The anti graft agency had in 2015 arraigned Agaba alongside a former NIMASA Managing Director (MD) Dr. Patrick Akpolobokemi, a former NIMASA staff, Ekene Nwakuche and the chairman of Ndokwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, Juan Amechee Governor, for allegedly laundering N2.6 billion.
The offence they pleaded not guilty to.
Subsequently, Akpobolokemi filed a no case submission but the judge dismissed the application for lack of merit.
However, the ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal in Lagos, which unanimously discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi.
Following the appellate court’s decision, the anti-graft agency on October 10, 2019, withdrew the charges against Governor and Nwakuche.
While they maintained that Agaba has a case to answer as regards the alleged fraud.
The Commission told the judge that between December 23, 2013 and March 13, 2014 in Lagos, Agaba converted the N1.5bn in tranches of N437,726,666.60,
N66,800,000, N21,802,000 and N402,480, 000.00, N525,000,000, N70,000.000 and N176, 000,000.
The funds were laundered through Seabulk Offshore Operator Ltd, Ace Protehesis Limited, Extreme Vertex Nigeria Limited and Aroward Consulting Limited.
