A Lagos High Court in Ikeja has sentenced Mohammed Gobir, a former director of Afromedia Plc, to seven years in prison over charges involving a massive fraud scheme totaling over ₦1 billion and $3.5 million.
Gatekeepers News reports that Gobir was convicted on 17 counts of stealing, obtaining money under pretenses, forgery, and possession of fraudulent documents.
The charges were brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) following a detailed investigation that led to his arrest in Ikoyi, Lagos, in September 2015.
In her ruling, Justice Raliat Adebiyi held that Gobir breached the trust placed in him and engaged in deliberate acts of deception. She described the fraudulent acts as a “serious violation of fiduciary responsibility.”
According to the EFCC, Gobir had fraudulently claimed he was investing ₦1 billion into Afromedia but diverted significant funds for personal use. The amounts misappropriated included $3.5 million, ₦514.4 million, $2.1 million, and £51,000.
Gobir allegedly requested $250,000 under the pretense of obtaining a waiver certificate for the release of $250 million supposedly frozen by anti-money laundering authorities in the UK—an assertion the court dismissed as completely fabricated.
Despite pleading not guilty throughout the trial, the court found him culpable on all counts. Justice Adebiyi ordered that he make restitution of $1 million and ₦123 million.
The prison terms will run concurrently, meaning Gobir will serve a total of seven years behind bars in a Nigerian correctional facility.
EFCC hailed the ruling as a significant win in Nigeria’s battle against financial crimes, calling it a landmark judgment and a stern reminder that no one is above the law.
