John Warimeme Abebe, an in-law of former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for forgery and laundering.

Abebe was arraigned on July 26, 2018, by the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC on a four-count charge that included forgery, fabricating evidence, using fabricated evidence, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

On June 22, 2010, Statoil Nigeria Limited, an oil company, accused Dr. Abebe of forging parts of a Net Profit Interest Agreement (NPIA) drafted by British Petroleum (BP) on November 30, 1995. The agreement stated that “$4 million buy-out is thus irrelevant from production of oil in any of our fields,” and Abebe purported it to have been issued by BP Exploration Nigeria Limited. This action committed an offense contrary to Section 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

Justice Mojisola Dada gave the judgment after it was established that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Dr. John Abebe was sentenced to seven years in prison. The judge also gave him an option to pay a fine of N50 million within 30 days.