Business
EFCC arrests Jonathan’s Billionaire associate, Jide Omokore over Multi-billion naira fraud
Former President Jonathan’s close associate and Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, Jide Omokore has been arrested by the EFCC in connection with a series of multi-billion dollar petrol import and crude export deals.
Atlantic Energy Limited was one of the companies that received multibillion dollar worth of public assets without due process by the Jonathan administration in 2011.
The company, which was created less than a year earlier and had not produced a droplet of oil, was awarded controlling stakes in two lucrative oil blocks – OML 30 and 34 – for just over $50 million each.
The deal, which was signed by the immediate past minister of petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, gave Atlantic Energy Limited a controlling 55 percent stake in the oil block.
Curiously, Shell, which owned the remaining 45 per cent stake, fetched $1.3 billion for a single field after an open and competitive bidding process.
The company was also indicted for lifting crude oil, but only remitting a fraction of its worth to the government.
In 2012, Atlantic Energy paid $168m into the government’s account, but lifted about three million barrels – valued at over $350 million.
In 2013, it also lifted about 2 million barrels of crude valued at about $240million, but paid only $68million.
Similarly, in 2014, Atlantic Energy paid zero cash-call, but lifted about 500,000 barrels of crude oil, valued at $54 million.
SPOG, another of Mr. Omokore’s companies, is also being investigated by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, in an alleged N400 million petrol import fraud.
SPOG allegedly imported 3,000 metric tonnes of PMS but filed claims for subsidy payment of 13,000 metric tonnes with the Petroleum Product Regulatory Agency (PPRA), therefore pocketing N400 million more than it should have been paid.
Also, Seven Energy Limited, which owns Septa Energy Nigeria Limited, one of the business interests of Mr. Omokore, was also awarded the concession of OML 4, 38, and 41 towards the end of Mrs. Allison-Madueke’s tenure as petroleum minister.
Another company in the complex web of companies chaired by Mr. Omokore, Seven Energy, is partly owned by Energy Resources Management Limited, indicted in the import waiver scandal.
A Daily Trust report of December 2010 revealed that Energy Resources imported 250,000 metric tonnes of rice into the country without paying a kobo in import duties, levies, ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), Comprehensive Import Scheme (CISS) and other levies because of the waiver it allegedly got from the presidency.
Fivatek Nigeria Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Resources Group, was also involved in the controversy-ridden National Fertilizer Company (NAFCON) before it was sold.
Mr. Omokore was alleged to have colluded with Sunny Essien, a former managing director of NAFCON and others, to funnel ₦10million into former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s campaign account, largely through the company’s account domiciled with the Abuja branch of the defunct Trade Bank.
He is believed to have been indicted by the judicial commission of enquiry, which looked into the finances of NAFCON.
Prof Lawan Bala Buratai Appointed Vice Chancellor of Nigerian Army University Biu After Rigorous Selection
In a significant leadership transition at one of Nigeria’s foremost military-civilian academic institutions, Professor Lawan Bala Buratai has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB).
The appointment was announced following an intensive and merit-based selection process conducted by the Governing Council of NAUB at the Armed Forces Officers Mess and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja. The Council, under the chairmanship of Dr. Awwal Moriki, concluded its deliberations and formally presented the letter of appointment to Prof Buratai in a brief but momentous ceremony.
Dr. Moriki, while congratulating the new helmsman, described the selection as the culmination of a transparent and rigorous process aimed at identifying a visionary academic leader who embodies the university’s core values of excellence, discipline, and innovation.
With this appointment, Prof Buratai succeeds Professor Kyari Mohammed, whose single five-year tenure is widely credited with laying a strong foundation for the university’s academic and structural growth.
The Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB) was established in 2018 as a unique public institution owned by the Nigerian Army and designed to serve both military personnel and civilians. Located in Biu, Borno State, the university was conceived as a strategic response to the security and developmental challenges facing Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.
NAUB is focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, defense studies, and technology-driven research. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in diverse fields ranging from engineering and environmental sciences to social sciences, computing, and military history.
What sets NAUB apart is its civil-military partnership model, which aims to foster mutual understanding and collaboration between Nigeria’s armed forces and the general populace. The university plays a key role in developing indigenous solutions to security challenges while also contributing to national capacity building and economic resilience through education.
With increasing national and international recognition, NAUB continues to attract scholars and partnerships across Africa and beyond, committed to transforming it into a world-class institution in security and development research.
Professor Lawan Buratai, a respected scholar and administrator, is expected to lead the university into its next chapter—deepening academic standards, expanding infrastructure, and strengthening NAUB’s role in national transformation.
His appointment signals a continuity of vision with a renewed focus on excellence, innovation, and service to the nation.
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