Ex-Afromedia Director Mohammed Gobir Jailed for Multi-Million Naira Fraud

A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced former Afromedia Plc director, Alhaji Mohammed Gobir, to seven years in prison for orchestrating a complex fraud involving hundreds of millions of naira and large sums in foreign currencies.

Presiding judge, Justice Raliat Adebiyi, found Gobir guilty on all 17 counts filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including charges of stealing, obtaining by false pretence, forgery, and possession of fraudulent documents.

The EFCC launched its case in 2016 after receiving a petition from Afromedia Plc, which accused Gobir of masterminding a sophisticated scheme that drained the company’s finances under false pretences.

According to court records, Gobir had fraudulently secured a position on the company’s board by falsely claiming he would invest N1 billion into the business. Once appointed, he exploited his position to siphon off vast sums—$3.5 million, $2.1 million, £51,000, and over ₦514 million—using a series of fabricated claims.

Among the most brazen of these was his assertion that he required $250,000 to obtain a waiver certificate that would supposedly allow him to retrieve $250 million allegedly frozen by British anti-money laundering officials. Justice Adebiyi rejected this claim outright, describing it as fictitious and a calculated attempt to mislead Afromedia.

In another episode, Gobir allegedly manipulated the company into releasing over ₦514 million, falsely claiming it was needed to process a non-existent $70 million transfer from a London bank account.

Following an extensive investigation, the EFCC arrested Gobir in September 2015 at his luxury residence in Ikoyi, Lagos. The agency described the case as one of the most elaborate corporate frauds it had encountered.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Adebiyi condemned Gobir’s actions, stating they amounted to “a betrayal of confidence and fiduciary duty.” She stressed that his abuse of power and manipulation of trust within the company represented a grave violation of corporate ethics.

The EFCC hailed the court’s decision as a major milestone in its campaign against economic crimes, saying the conviction affirms that “no one is above the law, regardless of influence or status.”