ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION PLANS INDICTMENTS OF FORMER REFINERY DIRECTORS
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to indict Jimoh Esau, the former Managing Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company, on Friday. Additionally, Ahmed Ditko, the former Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refining Company, will face similar charges on Wednesday. Both individuals are implicated in separate money laundering schemes involving substantial sums in naira and dollars.
According to court documents, both cases are currently pending before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja. The accusations against Esau consist of eight charges, including the conversion of substantial amounts of foreign currency, while Ditko faces 12 charges centered around transactions dating back to 2022.
One of the notable charges against Esau alleges that he indirectly converted $789,950 through a transaction involving an individual named Samaira Bala between October 2023 and May 2025. The EFCC has indicated that these funds stem from unlawful activities, emphasizing discrepancies with known lawful income for a former public servant in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
In the second count, Esau is accused of making various cash payments totaling five million naira to Samaira Bala, bypassing traditional financial institutions. This practice is deemed a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022, as outlined by the EFCC.
Furthermore, the charges allege that between February 2024 and March 2025, Esau converted an additional $122,600 into cash via Rashid Yusuf of Rashidat Anike Global Ventures, further evading banking channels. Another accusation highlights that between January and June 2015, Esau received N25,563,000, which was linked to unlawful activities, again violating multiple sections of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
Additional allegations against Esau involve transferring N65,860,000 to Cordros Securities Limited for buying Treasury Bills in his name and retaining separate sums of N15,000,000 and N3,000,000 related to payments from a contractor of the NNPC, identified as Ebenko Global Link Limited.
In contrast, Mr. Ditko faces a different array of charges. The EFCC has filed 12 counts against him, which also date back to transactions made in 2022. Notably, Ditko allegedly paid $218,375,000 to Khadeijah Bashir for a property acquisition in Abuja without the involvement of financial institutions, raising regulatory concerns.
Moreover, Ditko is accused of holding N100 million and N90 million in separate bank accounts that were not properly documented, as well as disguising the source of the N90 million through an Access Bank account related to another individual. One of the more severe allegations includes conspiring with Masterpiece Projects and Investments Limited to obscure the origin of N328,710,337.50, which was tied to transactions involving NNPC’s export dealings.
Both individuals are facing serious ramifications for their alleged violations of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022 and the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of 2011, as amended. The upcoming court sessions are expected to capture significant attention given the implications of these high-stakes cases.
