Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed November 17, 2026, for ruling on the bail applications filed by a Chinese national, Su Donghai, and two Nigerians, Stanley Okechukwu Okafor and Ogunade Oluwaseun, who are facing an 11-count charge bordering on alleged N1 billion fraud, forgery and money laundering.
The judge fixed the date on Wednesday after hearing arguments from counsel to the defendants and the prosecution, following their applications seeking release on bail pending the determination of the charges.
The defendants were charged by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), which took over the prosecution of the case from operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos.
At the proceedings, Mrs Aderonke Imana appeared for the prosecution, while Mr O. B. Orugbemhe, holding the brief of Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), represented the first and third defendants.
Adeboyejo Aromolaran, holding the brief of Kayode Lawal, appeared for the Chinese defendant, while Joseph Okoh and Ireoluwa Oguntunase represented the nominal complainant.
The defendants were arraigned on October 20, 2026, alongside two companies, WNW Energy Technical Development Limited and Haoti International Limited, over allegations of conspiring to defraud CNOTS Energy Services Limited of N1 billion.
They pleaded to the charges, which arose from alleged fraudulent activities said to have occurred between January 2020 and April 2024 in Lagos.
Following their arraignment, the two Nigerian defendants, Okafor and Ogunade, were released to their lawyers pending the determination of their bail applications, while Su Donghai remained in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.
The Chinese national had previously been absent from the proceedings after his legal representative informed the court that he was outside the country for medical reasons.
In the amended charge marked FHC/L/695C/2024, the prosecution alleged that the defendants and others still at large conspired among themselves to fraudulently obtain N1 billion belonging to CNOTS Energy Services Limited, represented by Femi Folayan.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants forged 89 invoices belonging to WNW Energy Technical Development Company Limited as part of the purported scheme to defraud the energy company.
Specifically, the first defendant, Okafor, was accused of falsely deposing to an affidavit on oath on February 13, 2024, at the Lagos State High Court Registry, wherein he allegedly attached 29 invoice receipts belonging to WNW Energy Technical Development Company Limited.
He was also accused of falsely presenting himself as the Managing Director of CNOTS Energy Technical Development Company Limited on February 20, 2020, in Lagos.
The second defendant, Ogunade, was alleged to have manipulated the accounting records of CNOTS Energy Services Limited between 2021 and 2023 while purportedly serving as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.
According to the prosecution, he deliberately inserted fictitious figures into the company’s accounting records without corresponding invoices or supporting documentation to validate the entries.
The third defendant, Su Donghai, was accused of transferring into and retaining in a bank account belonging to one Alikali Vivian, domiciled with United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, the sum of N1 billion allegedly belonging to CNOTS Energy Services Limited between January 2020 and April 2024.
The prosecution maintained that the alleged activities formed part of a coordinated scheme involving fraudulent documentation, manipulation of financial records and the diversion of funds belonging to the energy company.
The defendants were charged under various provisions of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022; the Miscellaneous Offences Act; and the Criminal Code Act.
The amended charge also lists WNW Energy Technical Development Company Limited and Haoti International Limited as defendants alongside the three individuals.
One of the counts accuses the defendants and others still at large of conspiring between January 2020 and April 2024 in Lagos to commit felony, namely fraud and money laundering, contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The prosecution is expected to establish its allegations against the defendants as the trial progresses.
The court’s ruling on November 17 will determine the fate of their pending bail applications.
