Businessman Jailed Seven Years for N300m Fraud in Lagos

Lagos, Nigeria – A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced Mohammed Gobir to seven years imprisonment for a N300 million fraud. Justice R.I.B. Adeniyi delivered the judgment on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, bringing an end to a protracted legal battle that began with Gobir’s arrest almost a decade ago.

Gobir’s journey to prison started on September 12, 2015, when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested him at his Ikoyi residence. The arrest followed a petition from Afromedia Plc, an outdoor advertising company.

According to the petitioner, Gobir was introduced to Afromedia in 2008 by private placement consultants, Synergy Capital Advisory Limited. He allegedly offered to invest a substantial N1 billion in the company, a proposition that earned him a position as Chairman of the Business Development Committee on Afromedia’s Board of Directors.

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Investigations by the EFCC revealed that Gobir, having gained the trust of the company’s Board, subsequently defrauded Afromedia of several millions in hard currency.

He was formally arraigned on March 17, 2016, on a 17-count charge, which included obtaining under false pretence, stealing, possession of fraudulent documents, and forgery. One of the key charges detailed how Gobir, between January 2009 and December 2011, allegedly obtained over N514 million from Afromedia Plc. He falsely claimed this sum represented the cost of facilitating and securing a $70 million investment from his supposed account at NATWEST Bank, London, United Kingdom.

Gobir pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, leading to a full trial. During the proceedings, EFCC prosecution counsel Nnaemeka Omewa presented four witnesses and numerous documents as evidence. The defence counsel, Y.B. Bayero, called three witnesses.

In her judgment, Justice Adebiyi convicted Gobir on count 1 (obtaining under false pretence), counts 4 and 5 (stealing), and counts 8, 11, 14 & 17 (possession of fraudulent documents). He received a seven-year sentence for obtaining under false pretence and six months for stealing. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Furthermore, the court ordered Gobir to pay restitution of $1 million USD and N123 million to Afromedia Plc for the convictions on the stealing charges. However, he was discharged on the counts of forgery and being in possession of forged documents.

The ruling underscores the EFCC’s continued efforts to combat financial crimes and hold individuals accountable for fraudulent activities that impact corporate entities and the broader economy.