The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a 62-year-old businessman, Alhaji Umar Audu Bida, for an alleged fraud involving $130m.
A statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed that the commission was also investigating the businessman for alleged possession of some documents of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the supply of Crude oil to his American business partner, Donald Laletta, the Chief Executive Officer, Park LLLC.
Umar was stated to have been arrested by operatives of the EFCC in Kaduna on Tuesday for alleged possession of fake documents for the lifting of crude oil by some vessels.
The vessels are MT Antartic, MT Sonagol Namibe and MT Caped Bowen.
As stated by the EFCC spokesman, the suspect told his interrogators that he obtained the incriminating documents from the agent to a seller, Lambda, Double Wonder and Days Marines Services, who was alleged to have claimed to have crude oil for sale.
Uwujaren stated that the CEO of the American firm had told the EFCC that the suspect allegedly attempted to defraud him after signing a Sale and Purchase Agreement with him.
He also claimed to have raised a letter of credit to the suspect's firm via a courier company to the tune of $100m adding that he paid the suspects the sums of $8m, $10m and $12m on different occasions.