₦816 Million Fraud: Lagos Court Jails Indian National For 10 years

An Indian national, Chandra Singh, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja for procurement fraud Justice I.O. Ijelu delivered the judgment on Thursday, 27 February 2025, convicting Singh on charges of bribery and retention of stolen property totaling ₦816,361,386.75.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Singh on 24 November 2022 on a 19-count charge, accusing him of soliciting undue advantage for his company, CVN Engineering Limited, while working at African Natural Resources and Mines Limited.

One of the charges alleged that Singh, while employed at the company, influenced the awarding of a ₦365,757,457.00 supply contract to CVN Engineering Limited. Another charge detailed a similar offence involving Neo Paints Nigeria Limited, where he was accused of influencing the awarding of a ₦243,141,638.75 contract to the company.

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Additionally, Singh was found to have dishonestly retained $4,150 belonging to his employer. Despite pleading “not guilty,” the prosecution, led by Bilikisu Buhari, presented nine witnesses and documentary evidence to prove Singh’s involvement in the fra¥dulent scheme.

After carefully examining all the details and evidence presented in the case, Justice Ijelu determined that Singh was guilty on multiple counts, specifically counts 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18. As a result of these findings, he was sentenced to spend 10 years in prison, and he must serve this time without the possibility of paying a fine to avoid his sentence.

Additionally, the court imposed a significant financial penalty on him, requiring him to pay a total of ₦345 million as restitution to compensate his former employer for the harm he caused through his actions. This judgment effectively brings Singh’s trial to a close, highlighting the serious nature of his crimes and the way he abused his authority for his own benefit. The case serves as a clear example of how someone in a position of power can misuse that power and the consequences that follow such unethical actions.