The Federal Government on Tuesday filed a suit against two oil companies and their managing directors, who allegedly collected about N2 .5 billion for the importation of petrol but did not import the commodity.

The defendants are Integrated Resources Ltd. and its Managing Director, Durosola Omaggenigun; and Pinnacle Oil and Gas and its Managing Director, Peter Mba.

They were charged before a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will arraign the defendants on Thursday before Justice Samuel Candide-Johnson.

In a four-count charge signed by Mrs Olabisi Fatunde, the Director of Public Prosecution of the federation, the government said that the defendants committed the crime between 2010 and 2011.

The charge stated that they collected the money under false pretence of importing 32.3 million litres of petrol.

The government said that the defendants claimed to have used the money to import about 19.3 million litres of petrol from the Nimex Petroleum Ltd.

It further alleged that they also claimed to have purchased about 13 million litres of the product from the Alcamo International Ltd.