The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has adjourned the arraignment of Jimoh Olasunkanmi Yisawu, former Managing Director of the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, until July 20, 2026.
The matter, which was scheduled for arraignment on Friday before Justice Inyang Ekwo, could not proceed because the judge was unavailable.
Justice Ekwo was said to be away on another official assignment.
Yisawu is to be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering and unlawful handling of public funds.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/361/2026, was filed by the EFCC through Ekele Iheanacho, SAN.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Yisawu, while serving as Managing Director of Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited, laundered public funds and used part of the money to purchase treasury bills in his name.
In count one, the EFCC alleged that Yisawu, between October 2023 and May 2025 in Abuja, indirectly converted the aggregate sum of $789,950 through one Samaila Bala.
The Commission alleged that the money did not form part of his known lawful earnings as a former public officer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, and that he knew the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activity.
The offence was said to be contrary to Section 18(2)(b) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In another count, Yisawu was accused of making various cash payments above the statutory threshold, totalling $789,950, to Samaila Bala without passing the transactions through a financial institution.
The EFCC further alleged that between February 2024 and March 2025, the former refinery boss indirectly converted $122,600 in cash through Rasheed Olaitan Yusuf of Rasheedat Anike Global Ventures.
Another count alleged that between January and June 2015 in Lagos, Yisawu used the aggregate sum of ₦25,563,000 received into his Zenith Bank and Access Bank accounts from JKpeez Impex Co., described as a contractor with a subsidiary of the former Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, now NNPCL.
The Commission alleged that he reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activity.
Other allegations against Yisawu include transferring ₦65,860,000 to Cordros Securities Limited to purchase treasury bills in his name.
He was also accused of retaining ₦15 million and ₦3 million respectively, allegedly paid into his Stanbic IBTC account by Olasinka Fragene Justice on behalf of Ebenco Global Link Limited, described as a contractor to NNPCL.
The stalled arraignment comes two days after the EFCC arraigned Ahmed Adamu Dikko, former Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited, before the same court on alleged money laundering charges.
Dikko was arraigned before Justice Ekwo on a 12-count charge and pleaded not guilty.
The court subsequently fixed October 12, 2026, for the commencement of Dikko’s trial.
The cases against Dikko and Yisawu form part of EFCC’s wider investigation into alleged diversion of funds connected to the rehabilitation and turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s state-owned refineries.
Yisawu has not been convicted of the allegations.
The post “Judge’s Absence” — Court Shifts Arraignment Of Ex-Warri Refinery MD Yisawu To July 20 appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
