Court insists coy pays N963.7M to FG for oil subsidy fraud

An Ikeja High Court has insisted that Brila Energy must pay the N963.7 million judgment to the Federal Government.

Justice Lateefa Okunnu, in her ruling, on Wednesday, struck out an application by Mr Rowaye Jubril, the jailed Managing Director of Brila Energy Ltd, seeking a stay of execution of the court’s judgment ordering his company to refund the sum to the Federal Government.

“An order of stay of execution of a judgment must be based on a valid appeal,” she said, noting “there is no proof before the court to show that Brila Energy Ltd filed the notice of appeal”.

Okunnu, therefore, upheld the submission of the EFCC on the matter.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okunnu had on March 16, convicted and sentenced Jubril to 10 years imprisonment over a N754 million oil subsidy scam.

She had ordered Brila Energy to refund N963.7 million to the Federal Government.

Earlier during proceedings, Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), Counsel to Jubril had in an application dated May 16, sought to stay the execution of the portion of the judgment which ordered the refund of the money to the government.

Pedro had also sought an interlocutory injunction restraining the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from enforcing the judgment.

Mr Seidu Atteh, the Counsel to the EFCC, however, in a counter-affidavit, urged the court to refuse application of the applicants.

Atteh argued that the applicants had not placed documents before the court to warrant the granting of their request for a stay of the March 16 judgment.