Justice O.O. Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced Idris Bakare to four years in prison for defrauding British Airways of N35.6 million. Bakare was charged by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts of stealing.
Bakare, who had been a contract staff at Total Plc, pleaded guilty to the charges, which detailed how he and his accomplices converted Jet A1 fuel meant for British Airways for personal gain. The fraudulent activities were discovered following a petition by British Airways in January 2022, revealing that Bakare and others had been inflating fuel invoices since 2018.
The EFCC’s investigation showed that Bakare sold the stolen fuel to a buyer named Dauda Sulaiman, receiving N40.6 million in return. Evidence presented in court included the petition from British Airways, Bakare’s statements, and his bank records.
Upon his guilty plea, Bakare expressed remorse and pleaded for leniency, promising to reform. His lawyer, Olufemi Bisuga, also requested the court’s mercy. However, the prosecution urged the court to enforce restitution under Section 297 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State.
Justice Abike-Fadipe sentenced Bakare to one year of imprisonment for each count, to run concurrently, with an option of a N1 million fine per count. Additionally, Bakare is required to repay the outstanding balance of N36.6 million over three years, starting in July 2024. The judge also ordered that N4 million, already refunded by Bakare, be returned to British Airways.
