The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a man, Amechi James Oduofor, over allegations that he impersonated a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) official and defrauded a Singaporean businessman of $285,000 in a fictitious crude oil transaction.
Oduofor was arraigned on Wednesday before Justice C. A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo State, on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining money by false pretence.
The EFCC’s Benin Zonal Directorate alleged that Oduofor posed as an engineer named Bright Wilcox, claiming to be a desk manager in offshore petroleum loading operations at the NNPC.
According to the commission, he allegedly used a fake NNPC identity card and forged documents to convince the Singaporean, Jimmy Kee, to pay $285,000 as a fictitious cargo reassignment fee for light crude oil from Nigeria.
One of the charges alleged that Oduofor knowingly forged an NNPC identity card bearing the name Engr. Wilcox Bright, intending to induce Kee to believe it was genuine and part with the money.
Another count accused him of altering a pro forma invoice for marine equipment and sending the document to Kee through an email account allegedly created for the fraudulent scheme.
The EFCC said its investigation uncovered the alleged fraud and the use of forged NNPC documents to facilitate the transaction.
Oduofor pleaded not guilty to all eight counts when they were read to him.
Prosecution counsel, I. M. Elodi, subsequently asked the court to fix a trial date and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.
Justice Obiozor adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for hearing and ordered that Oduofor be remanded in a correctional facility.
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