A Federal High Court in Lagos has sentenced a former Acting Director-General of NIMASA, Calistus Obi, to seven years imprisonment for N136 million fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Obi in April 12, 2016 on eight counts of converting N378,810,000 from NIMASA.

He was charged along with Dismass Alu Adoon, Grand Pact Limited and Global Sea Investment Limited.

Calliistus Obi, a former NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Service, took over from Patrick Akpobolokemi, who is also facing five separate fraud and theft charges.

Count one reads: “That you, Calistus Nwabueze Obi and Dismass Alu Adoon on or about the 5th day of August 2014, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: Conversion of the sums of N111,000,000, property of NIMASA, knowing that the said sums were proceeds of stealing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Obi, Global Seal and Grand Pact were said to have converted N42,755,000.00 on December 24, 2013.

EFCC said Obi, on May 2, 2013, converted N25,000,000, as well as N46.3million being “proceeds of stealing” between April 1 and December 11, 2014.

Details later.