By Lizzy Chirkpi
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu Zonal Directorate, have arrested a 30-year-old businessman, Onwughalu Chikodi Godwin, over an alleged N30.85 million fraud involving the theft of vegetable oil from Bro-kenn Agro Allied Industries in Enugu State.
According to the company, which is engaged in the refining and processing of vegetable oil, Godwin and his alleged accomplices manipulated its weighbridge system to divert large quantities of vegetable oil valued at N30,853,800 between January 2024 and May 2025.
Counsel to the company, Dr. Mazi Udegbulem, alleged that the suspect orchestrated a sophisticated scheme designed to falsify weight measurements and facilitate the theft of the product.
“The suspect and his cohorts fraudulently manipulated the refinery’s weighbridge system by filling jerry cans with water to alter weight measurements, draining the water inside the refinery, and replacing it with stolen vegetable oil,” Udegbulem said.
He explained that the company’s operational procedure requires every vehicle entering the refinery to be weighed before loading and again after loading, with the weight difference determining the quantity of oil supplied.
According to Udegbulem, suspicions were raised after the company observed recurring discrepancies in its operations, prompting closer monitoring of transactions linked to the suspect.
“On one occasion in June 2025, Godwin arrived with a Sienna bus carrying 115 jerry cans, even though he had only paid for one tonne of oil, enough to fill 63 gallons of 18 litres each. The extra containers were allegedly intended for stolen products,” he said.
He disclosed that a subsequent inspection of the vehicle uncovered a significant anomaly.
“Because the company was already on red alert, the vehicle was inspected and the 40 gallons were found to contain water. The difference in weight after the water was removed was 960 kilograms, which was the exact quantity allegedly intended to be fraudulently obtained,” he stated.
Udegbulem added that the 960 kilograms of vegetable oil allegedly targeted in the transaction had an estimated market value of about N2.5 million at the time, which the company believes represented the average loss incurred on each trip made by the suspect during the period under investigation.
Preliminary findings by the EFCC indicate that Godwin allegedly gained the confidence of the company before exploiting the relationship to perpetrate the fraud.
The anti-graft agency said investigations are ongoing and that the suspect will be charged to court upon their conclusion.