The Benin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, arraigned one Amechi James Oduofor before Justice C. A. Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Benin City, for crude oil fraud.
Oduofor was arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on forgery, impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of $285,000 from a Singaporean.
One of the charges reads: “That you Amechi James Oduofor, sometime in 2020 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did knowingly make a false document to wit: a false identity card of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation with the name Engr. Wilcox Bright as a Desk Manager – Operations Offshore Loading Petroleum, with intent that one Jimmy Kee, a Singaporean, may, in the belief that it is genuine be induced to pay the aggregate sum of $285,000 (Two Hundred and Eight Five Thousand USD) to you and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, CAP M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2017.”
Another reads: “That you Amechi James Oduofor, sometime in 2020 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly alter a false document captioned “Proforma Invoice for Marine (ATB) by sending the said document via your email brightweeks62@gmail.com to one Jimmy Kee with intent that the said Jimmy Kee may in the belief that it is genuine be induced to pay the aggregate sum of $285,000 (Two hundred and Eighty five thousand USD) to you and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2)(2) of the Miscellaneous of Offence Act, Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, upon which the prosecution counsel, I. M. Elodi asked the court for a trial date and his remand in a Correctional Facility.
Justice Obiozor adjourned the matter till November 19, 2026 for hearing and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Facility.
Oduofor was arrested when EFCC’s investigations showed that he defrauded a Singaporean, Jimmy Kee, by inducing him to pay the sum of $285,000, being a fictitious cargo reassignment fee for light crude oil from Nigeria.
To pull off the fraud, Oduofor paraded himself as Bright Wilcox, an engineer, and Desk Manager, Operations (offshore) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and also created a fraudulent email account, through which he sent forged NNPC documents to the victim.
