Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court Abuja has discharged and acquitted Jide Omokore, Chairman of Atlantic Energy Drilling Concepts Nigeria Limited, of fraud allegations.
Omokore was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Victor Briggs, Abiye Membere, and David Mbanefo on 15 counts on July 4, 2016.
They were alleged to have fraudulently diverted about $1.6bn alleged to be part of proceeds of sales of petroleum products belonging to the Federal Government.
Omokore, an ally of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Alison-Madueke, was initially arraigned in 2016.
He and the co-defendants were arraigned before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba.
Omokore and the others were alleged to have committed offences contrary to section 1 (1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act and punishment under section 1(3) of the same Act.