Obasanjo’s In-Law, John Abebe Bags Seven Years Imprisonment For Forgery

A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on Friday has sentenced former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s In-Law, Dr. John Abebe to seven years imprisonment.

Abebe was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment with an option of N50m fine to be paid within 30days.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Abebe, who is a younger brother to the late former First Lady, Stella Obasanjo, for forgery.

Abebe was arraigned on four counts before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja.

The EFCC, in the charges, claimed that Abebe “knowingly forged” a November 30, 1995 letter written by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited to Inducon (Nigeria) Ltd.

The anti-graft agency claimed that the businessman “illegally inserted” into page 2 of the said letter the following statement: “Also note that the ‘Buy-Out Option’ only applies to the pre-production stage of the NPIA. The $4m buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields.”

According to the EFCC, Mr. Abebe also attempted to pervert the course of justice” by tendering the allegedly forged November 30, 1995 letter “as a fabricated evidence” in court, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/224/2010 between Dr. John Abebe, Inducon Nigeria Limited and Statoil Nigeria Limited.

Justice Mojisola Dada handed the judgement after it was established that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.

The prosecution, led by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, had arraigned the defendant on July 26, 2018 on three counts charge bothering on money laundering and forgery.