Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced an Indian national, Chandra Singh, to 10 years in prison for procurement fraud.
The ruling was delivered on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
Singh was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on a 19-count charge bordering on the retention of stolen property and bribery, amounting to N816,361,386.75 (Eight Hundred and Sixteen Million, Three Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty-Six Naira, Seventy-Five Kobo).
The EFCC had arraigned Singh before Justice Ijelu on November 24, 2022.
According to the charges, Singh, while employed by African Natural Resources and Mines Limited, solicited indirectly to confer undue advantage on his company, CVN Engineering Limited, by influencing his employer to award contracts worth N365,757,457.00.
Another charge indicated that he similarly influenced the awarding of contracts worth N243,141,638.75 to Neo Paints Nigeria Limited. Additionally, Singh was accused of dishonestly retaining $4,150 belonging to his employer.
Singh pleaded not guilty to all charges, leading to a full trial. During the proceedings, EFCC prosecution counsel Bilikisu Buhari called nine witnesses and presented documentary evidence to establish the case against him.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ijelu found Singh guilty on counts 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, sentencing him to 10 years in prison without an option of fine. The court also ordered him to pay restitution of N345 million to his victim.
Singh’s conviction underscores the EFCC’s continued efforts to combat financial crimes and procurement fraud in Nigeria.
