Justice hands down 2021 biggest judgement to Nigerian scammer

A fake oil baron will live the next 175 years of his life in Rivers prison.

Justice A. T. Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt handed down the judgement to Vincent Ayigor.

He was convicted of defrauding an American, Joseph Crews, $629,287 in a crude oil supply scam.

Before his arrest and trial, Anyigor was a leader of a syndicate scamming foreigners by parading itself as an international operator in the oil and gas sector.

He was plying his fraudulent trade by forging documents and transacting businesses bearing the name of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

According to EFCC’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren,  Ayigor was arraigned, alongside his company, Vanyigor Concepts Limited, before Justice M. A. Liman of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt in 2016.

No fewer than 25 charges were levelled agast the scammer then.

He pleaded “not guilty” to all the 25 charges, and a full trial that lasted five years began.

EFCC’s counsel, I. Agu called eight (8) witnesses in the course of the trial and tendered documents that eventually nailed the convict.

Justice Mohammed found Anyigor guilty of all the 25 charges, convicted and sentenced him to seven years imprisonment on each of the counts, totalling 175 which are to run concurrently from the date of arrest.

In addition, the court ordered the convict and his company to pay the sum of $629,267.00 as restitution to the victim, Joseph Crews and Aumenta Holdings Inc of the United States of America (USA).

He also ordered that Vanyigor Concepts Limited be closed down