Court to hear subsidy convicts’ application on January 26

• Suit against Shell also adjourned

Hearing on the application filed by the convicted Chairman of Ontario Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited, Walter Wagbatsoma and Managing Director, Adaoha Ugo-Ndagi, has been fixed for January 26.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu fixed the date to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to study and respond to the applications.At the last adjourned date, counsel to the convicts, Mr. Edoka Onyeke, argued that they were not medically fit to stand trial.

He said the report from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Havana Specialist Hospital, Surulere, Lagos, proved that Ugo-Ndagi “is not fit at this time” to appear before the court.

But the EFCC’s counsel, Oladipupo Yeye, confirmed the service of the said applications, but prayed the court to give the commission some time to study and respond to them.
Justice Okunnu had earlier ordered the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Fatai Owoseni, to keep the convicted managing director under security watch pending when she would be transferred to prison.

This followed her alleged admission at the intensive medical care unit of LUTH.The judge had further ordered the medical directors of Havana Hospital and LUTH to swear to an affidavit of means to state the convict’s health status.

Before the ruling, Ugo-Ndagi’s counsel, Y.A Kadiri, explained that she is currently receiving treatments at LUTH.But the lead counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, urged the court to dismiss the request and pronounce the sentence on them.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos yesterday adjourned to March 20, 21 and 22, the suit against Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and Shell Western Supply & Trading Ltd, over alleged crude oil theft.At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, counsel to the plaintiff, Mr. Charles Nwabulu informed the court of his application for the amendment of his pleadings.

He also sought to substitute an earlier application he earlier filed.The trial judge, Mojisola Olatoregun, condemned the position of the Federal Government’s counsel and urged him to show more seriousness in the case. She awarded a cost of N100, 000 against the plaintiff.In a similar suit, the court fixed March 30, for hearing in a case between the Federal Government and Agip Oil Company Ltd.

In the suit, the Federal Government is claiming N406.7 million dollars from the defendants, representing the shortfall of money paid into the plaintiff’s account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).The money was said to be for the crude oil lifted in 2013 and 2014.