Operatives from the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Abdulazeez Gbadebo, the station manager of Emadeb Energy Service Limited.
The manager stands accused of orchestrating a sophisticated scheme of criminal breach of trust and massive fund diversion, allegedly siphoning off a staggering N500 million from the company through fraudulent sales of petroleum products.
The investigation was triggered by a formal petition from Emadeb Energy Service Ltd itself, which uncovered the alleged fraud during a routine external audit.
The company alleged that Gbadebo, exploiting his position of trust, had illegally diverted and sold bulk petrol to private customers by deliberately manipulating the station’s pump meters. This systematic manipulation allowed him to conceal the scale of the unauthorized sales and funnel approximately N500 million in illicit proceeds directly into his personal bank account, bypassing the company’s official channels entirely.
EFCC investigations subsequently peeled back the layers of this elaborate scheme, revealing a well-organized operation.
The probe confirmed that the suspect had been selling bulk quantities of both petrol and diesel to various individuals over an extended period. Crucially, all payments for these diverted products were directed not to the company’s accounts, but to Gbadebo’s private bank accounts, providing a clear paper trail of the alleged embezzlement.
The scale of his activities points to a significant and prolonged breach of fiduciary responsibility.
The extent of the manager’s alleged ill-gotten gains was starkly illustrated by the array of assets recovered by the EFCC during the operation.
The seized items include a fleet of luxury vehicles—an ash-coloured Mercedes Benz, three Mini Coopers (two ash, one green), and a white Mercedes Benz GLK. Beyond the automobiles, investigators also recovered substantial real estate holdings: one original authorization letter from the Kaduna Geographical Information System (KADGIS), a certificate of occupancy for a file numbered KDL 328159, one three-bedroom fully detached bungalow, and three additional landed properties.
The EFCC has confirmed that Abdulazeez Gbadebo will be charged to court as soon as investigations are formally concluded, marking a decisive step in addressing corporate fraud within Nigeria’s critical downstream oil and gas industry.
