EFCC uncovers Lagos Red Line fraud involving CCECC, N1bn payment to oil firm. Investigation deepens as foreign official grounded and charges loom
Lagos Red Line fraud is now at the centre of a widening corruption investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, as shocking revelations threaten to disrupt Nigeria’s infrastructure sector.
The EFCC has launched a probe into a suspected multi-billion-naira scandal tied to the high-profile Lagos Red Line railway project.
The investigation has unearthed a suspicious N1 billion payment by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) to Ocean Gate Energy Ltd., a relatively obscure oil and gas firm.
The company, allegedly linked to controversial businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, is under scrutiny for receiving funds meant for consultancy work on the railway project—despite not being certified as a consultancy agency.
Mr Lee, CCECC’s financial officer in Nigeria, was arrested last week in connection with the transaction and remains in EFCC custody.
His travel documents have been seized, effectively grounding him in the country as authorities press ahead with their inquiry.
According to sources close to the commission, CCECC executives claimed the consultancy deal was facilitated by a now-deceased Nigerian middleman, further complicating efforts to establish the legitimacy of the contract.
The firm has also failed to provide adequate documentation explaining why Ocean Gate Energy was selected as a consultant on a project of such national importance.
The Nigerian people deserve to know what happened to that N1 billion.
Efforts by CCECC to quietly resolve the matter through behind-the-scenes lobbying have failed.
A delegation sent to meet the EFCC Chairman was reportedly turned away, indicating a firmer stance by the agency under its new leadership.
An EFCC official confirmed that charges are forthcoming. “The Nigerian people deserve to know what happened to that N1 billion,” he said. “We are expecting to charge Mr Lee, CCECC, and Ocean Gate Energy to court very soon.”
The Lagos Red Line railway project, one of Nigeria’s most ambitious urban transit developments, is now overshadowed by this emerging scandal.
Prosecutors are preparing for what could become one of the most explosive graft trials in recent memory, with some of Nigeria’s most powerful players in infrastructure and oil sectors expected to be named.
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