The Centre for Social Justice, Equity and Transparency (CESJET) has filed a suit against Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking the immediate arrest and prosecution of Nigerian oil and gas mogul, Mr. Benedict Peters who is the present Chairman, Aiteo Group of Companies.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/239/2021 and filed at the Federal High Court Headquarters, Abuja on Friday, 26th February 2021 the group stated that it had on 15th February 2021 written a petition to EFCC urging it to revisit the allegations of various economic crimes against Mr. Benedict Peters within seven working days with a view to bringing him to book.
The petition was to satisfy the legal requirement that specific demand for performance of statutory duty must be made on a government agency such as EFCC before the Writ of Mandamus can lie against it.
The group alleged Aiteo’s Chairman of using the company and its subsidiaries to perpetrate unwholesome atrocities between 2014 till date.
According to its petition, the said companies were alleged to have been involved in all major underhand activities in the oil and gas industry that led to the shortfall in Nigeria’s revenue even before President Muhammadu Buhari took over power in May 2015.
A text message and several calls placed to a contact number seen on the website of Aiteo for reaction about the allegations raised by the petitioner were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
The petitioner also claimed that Peters was in the year 2016 alleged to have fronted for Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Petroleum Resources regarding a $115 Million (N23 Billion) fraud.
“CESJET wondered why the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing everything possible to reposition the economy even in the face of dwindling crude oil prices and some unscrupulous elements masquerading as businessmen are hell-bent on dragging the country backward through sheer corruption, stealing, sabotage and mischief.”
No date has yet been fixed for hearing of the motion exparte.
