Two Nigerian businessmen in court for alleged $20,000 crude oil scam

Two Nigerian businessmen, Patrick Piniki, 57, and Adawale Julius, 52, have been arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding a Ghanaian businessman of $20,000 (GH₵336,000) under the pretext of securing a vessel loaded with crude oil from Nigeria.

The accused have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and defrauding by false pretences. Both pleaded not guilty.

Bail conditions and court proceedings

Initially, the court, presided over by Halimah El-Alawa Abdul Basit, granted each accused person bail of GH₵200,000 with three sureties. The sureties were required to be public servants earning at least GH₵3,000 per month and residing within the court’s jurisdiction. Additionally, the accused were instructed to report to the police every two weeks and deposit their identification cards with the court registry.

However, the accused failed to meet the bail conditions, prompting the court to revise the terms. The new bail requirements stipulated that three sureties must earn at least GH₵2,000 monthly, with all sureties justified.

The case has been adjourned to April 2, 2025. Meanwhile, a third suspect, identified as Engineer Chidi, is on the run.

Background of the case

According to Chief Inspector Christopher Wonder, the complainant, Sawine Menual, a resident of Kasoa in the Central Region, was interested in the crude oil business and, in November 2024, sought assistance from Piniki through a mutual acquaintance named Olowo.

Piniki then involved Julius, who was based in Nigeria, and both later travelled to Ghana to meet with the complainant. Several meetings were held at a hotel in Tema, where the accused assured the complainant they could facilitate the crude oil deal.

They first demanded an initial $10,000, which the complainant paid to Engineer Chidi, who was introduced as a vessel manager. Chidi later travelled to Ghana and assured the complainant that the vessel was on its way.

Subsequently, the accused requested another $10,000 for “vessel loading,” which the complainant paid, expecting a successful transaction. However, the crude oil never arrived.

Failed refund and arrests

After realizing he had been deceived, the complainant demanded a refund. He only managed to recover $3,200, leaving a balance of $16,800 unpaid. In December 2024, Engineer Chidi returned to Nigeria without informing the complainant.

Following multiple failed attempts to retrieve his money, the complainant reported the matter to the Accra Regional Police Command, leading to the arrest of Piniki and Julius.

During police investigations, Piniki denied any wrongdoing, while Julius admitted that they had received money for the crude oil deal, which never materialized.