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Tag: Witness

  • How Jonathan’s aide allegedly helped Patience launder N5.1 billion, Witness tells Court

    A prosecution witness, Orji Chukwuma, in the ongoing trial of a former Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, on Tuesday told Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court , Ikoyi, Lagos, how Mr. Dudafa allegedly laundered several billions of Naira for a former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

    Mr. Dudafa is standing trial alongside Joseph Iwuejo, his ex-account officer, who allegedly aided him to perpetrate the fraud.

    Messrs. Dudafa and Iwuejo, who also claimed to be ‘Taiwo Ebenezer’ and ‘Olugbenga Isaiah’, between June 2013 and June 2015, were alleged to have used different companies to fraudulently launder various sums of money to the tune of N5.1 billion.

    At the resumed hearing today, Mr. Chukwuma, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, told the court how one Murtala Abubakar, a Bereau de Change operator, admitted to have collected several millions in dollars from Dudafa.

    “We discovered, in the course of our investigation, that Abubakar was directed to pay the various sums of money into different accounts provided by Dudafa,” Chukwuma said.

    Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Chukwuma also told the court that the money was given to Mr. Dudafa at the Aso Rock Villa by Patience, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Giving further testimony, Mr. Chukwuma told the court that Mr. Dudafa used some companies: ABY Resources Limited; Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited; Pluto Property and Investment Company Limited; Ibejige Services Limited and DeJakes Fast Food & Restaurant Nigeria Limited to warehouse and manage the monies found in his possession.

    The prosecution witness further stated that the defendant did not declare his interest in these companies in his Asset Declaration Form, and that the monies found in his accounts at two new generation banks were proceeds of crime.

    Also, Mr. Dudafa, through his lawyer, filed an application urging the court to release his international passport temporarily to enable him go for a medical appointment outside the country.

    In his response, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Oyedepo urged the court not to grant the application on the grounds that the EFCC had written to a Lagos State government hospital to examine Mr. Dudafa’s health and to determine whether he could be treated in the country or abroad.

    Mr. Oyedepo, however, told the court that he had yet to receive any response from the hospital.

    Consequently, Justice Idris adjourned to October 24 for hearing of the application and November 14 and 15, 2017 for continuation of trial.

  • Fayose bought N55m Range Rover, power bikes on credit – Witness tells court

    Fayose bought N55m Range Rover, power bikes on credit – Witness tells court

    Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State got a Range Rover Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) valued at N41.4 million and two power bikes valued at N13.8 million on credit, a witness told the Judicial Commission of Enquiry investigating state finances between 2010 and 2014.

    A Brand Manager at Coscharis Motors Limited, Mr. Justin Ngele, who testified before the panel at Thursday’s sitting, said Fayose got the Autobiography model of the Range Rover on September 9, 2015.

    Ngele recalled that while the governor paid for the Range Rover, he was yet to pay for the two power bikes, which he said were delivered on July 13, 2015.

    The brand manager, who was led in evidence by lawyer to Coscharis, Mr. Peter Jiya, said the two power bikes, which were used by the governor’s outriders, were supplied at N6.8 million each.

    The witness said his firm supplied 156 units of various brands of Coscharis vehicles valued at N1,284,159,000, based on an oral agreement with the Kayode Fayemi administration.

    Ngele, who was led in evidence by lawyer to Coscharis Motor, Peter Jiya, said the company sealed the deal based on the trust it had for the state government.

    The brand manager said there was a letter of award by the state government on the purchase of additional 59 units of vehicles, which the company later supplied.

    He added that of the 235 vehicles supplied between 2013 to 2014, N1.449 billion had been paid, leaving a balance of N459 million being owed the company.

    But in his statement on oath, a witness from the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Samuel Akinjide, said the ministry received an invoice of N1,284,159,000 from the state government for 156 Ford Range of vehicles.

    Akinjide said the ministry was mandated to finance the purchase of the 154 Ford Range vehicles, which were for traditional rulers.

    The witness said even before the state government gave the directive, the then Commissioner for Finance, Mr Vincent Kolawole, had received the 156 vehicles.

    He added: “Coscharis Motors, on May 2, 2014, requested for payment in respect of 235 vehicles, instead of the 156 units the ministry was directed to purchase.”

    Akinjide said the local governments were to settle the debt on equal basis even though they did not solicit for it.

    He said: “The General Administration Department (GAD) and the Ministry of Finance have been contacted but they all claimed ignorance of the purchase.”

    The panel adjourned sitting till September 8 to enable Coscharis Motors present the original documents as evidence to be tendered because it rejected the photocopies supplied by the company’s lawyer.

  • Banning the Witnesses, but not what they witness Owei Lakemfa

    By Owei Lakemfa.

    All religion, is belief. Depending on the emphasis, any religion or religious movement can be one of ‘peace’ ‘tolerance’ or ‘extremism’.

    The most difficult ban is that on religious belief because it is a futility; such a ban is actually a suppression and repression. A human being can be persuaded to change his belief, but cannot be banned from his belief. But this is what the Russian Supreme Court attempted to do on Monday, July 8, 2017 when it banned the Jehovah Witness Christian Movement in the country. In the lead judgment by Justice Yuri Ivanchenko, the Movement was found guilty of “extremist activity” destroying families, controlling the minds of its members and propagating hatred.

    With this judgment, the Movement forfeits its headquarters and the property of its 395 branches to the Russian government. What was more interesting is that the Russian Orthodox Church had made calls for the ban.

    Growing up in Lagos, Jehovah Witnesses were the butt of many jokes. First if one made some incorrect interpretation or misrepresentation of the Bible, the likely question was; are you reading the Jehovah Witness Bible? If you carry an old or worn-out bag, you are told that you appear to be a Jehovah Witness. If you raised critical issues in the Bible, you were scolded for behaving like a Witness.
    When I was young, my paternal aunt lived in our house. She was characterized as a ‘stark illiterate’ who cannot distinguish one letter from another. In old age, she returned to the ancestral home in the creeks to spend the rest of her live.

    One day, I visited her and was shocked to find her reading. I asked her what she was doing and she replied she was studying the Bible. “How did you learn to read and within such a short time?”

    She explained that with some other elderly people, she had been converted to a Witnesse but the Movement had told them they cannot be fully integrated or be part of the people who will resurrect, unless they spread the Word of Jehovah which they can only do if they are literate enough to read the Bible and publications of the Movement, and share the word with those to be converted. So with religious zeal, they learnt how to read and write under the adult education classes run by the Movement.

    That made me take a second look at the Witnesses. Then when my aunt died, the Movement buried her before the extended family held the normal long meetings and levy members; they saved us the costly burial funds. I also learnt from Jehovah Witnesses, the art of mobilization; when I became a trade unionist, I used their door-to-door evangelism as my template to teach workers the art of persuasion, mobilization and organization.

    The Jehovah Witnesses who flowed from the Adventists had been founded as the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Its leader, Charles Tace Russell had announced the birth with the first publication of the WATCHTOWER magazine in 1879. Initially known as the Russellites, the Movement had in 1931, adopted the name Jehovah Witness as they proclaim they are witnesses to the Word of God.

    They are perhaps the most persecuted religious group in human history; several countries had at one time or the other, banned them.

    Hitlerite Germany sent many to early graves while thousands of them were beaten or killed in 1967 in Malawi for refusing to pick the membership card of the ruling Malawi Congress Party. Countries like Singapore banned them for refusing the obligatory enlistment into the Army. The Witnesses had fought back tenaciously and in many cases, upturned the ban. This is the second time Witnesses will be banned in Russia as they were proscribed when the country was part of the defunct Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
    Following recent repression, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on October 7, 2014 that Georgian authorities were guilty of violating the fundamental human rights of Witnesses.
    The primary reason for the repression of the Witnesses are their peculiar doctrines. They do not believe in the existence of a literal Hell. While believing in Heaven, they claim that it is the earth that is heaven which at resurrection, will be restored to its EDENIC nature before Adam and Eve committed the mortal sin.

    In their belief, the dead are only unconscious and awaiting resurrection. So paradise will be restored on earth and humans will live eternally. Quoting Revelations 14: 1-3, they also claim that only 144,000 human beings will live eternally.
    They dismiss Christmas as unscriptural and declare tobacco as ‘unclean’ They do not wholeheartedly accept blood transfusion and organ transplant but leave these to individual discretion.
    Perhaps where they draw the ire of most governments is their near rejection of the state; while they do not object to paying taxes, they see the Biblical “superior authorities” more as heavenly rather than secular.

    To them, Christians should pay obedience and subject themselves to God and Christ, not countries. So they pay no allegiance to flags, and reject national anthems and Pledges to country. Also, they frown at carrying arms and therefore refuse to join the armed forces or serve in them even if this is obligatory for citizens.
    The Witnesses are universalists who believe in one humanity; preaching world-wide; door-to-door with exclusive devotion to God. They are also the most democratic religious group I know; they have no priests or leaders; they are all sheep, with Elders leading the flock. They have no churches nor attend church, rather, they have Kingdom Halls where they go for meetings. Often, they build their Kingdom Halls themselves using internal volunteers.

    They collect no tithes nor contributions; at the back of their halls they have boxes where the faithful can if he so wishes, drop any contribution.
    One of the most famous Witnesses who left to become an officer and politician was Dwight David ‘ike’ Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. Some of the most famous sports people who are Witnesses include Tennis stars, Serena and Venus Williams, and Baseball player, Lou Whittaker.

    Witnesses who became famous musicians include Michael Jackson and his brothers and sisters, Aaliyah, George Benson, Selena, Spice Girl, Geri Halliwell, Prince of ‘Purple Rain’ and Jill scot while their famous rappers list include Notorious B.I.G and Ja Rule, who left after his mother was excommunicated. Amongst Witnesses who became super models are Naomi Cambell and Coco Rocha, and the showbiz family, the Wayans including Damon.
    Religion is a constellation of ideas that need no passport or visa to cross borders; it is like rain that cannot be stopped and need no license to operate; therefore, banning Jehovah Witnesses is an historical futility.

     

  • 2015 Elections: How INEC officers received N264m bribe from Allison-Madueke – witness

    A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday, heard that two Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, employees, Christian Nwosu and Yisa Adegoyin, allegedly received N264million from a former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

    A prosecution witness, Mr Timothy Olaobaju, said that the money was paid to Nwosu and Adedoyin in cash.

    Olaobaju said this while testifying at the resumed trial of the accused persons, facing charges of corruption and undue enrichment.

    They are charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of receiving bribe from the former minister.

    Also charged is Tijani Bashir.

    Adedoyin had pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted following a plea bargain.

    Led in evidence on Wednesday by the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness, a bank operative, said that he paid Nwosu and Adedoyin the sum of N264 million, on the instructions of Alison-Madueke.

    “Sometime in 2015, there was a meeting between our Managing Director and former Petroleum Minister during which she explained that some companies and individuals would come to the bank to pay some money into some accounts.

    “The companies were Nothern Belt Ltd, Actus Integrated Ltd, Midwestern Company and one Mr Leno Laitan.

    “In addition, she said that certain individuals would bring some cash to be kept for her.

    “A total sum of 89 million dollars was paid into the accounts; cash sums of 25 million dollars was brought, totalling 114 million dollars and the money was kept in the bank pending her instruction as agreed.

    “On March 26, 2014, we got instruction that the money be converted to naira.

    “After it was converted, it amounted to about N23 billion.

    ‘’There was a list of beneficiaries that was sent, to be paid across the 36 states of the federation, including Kwara and I handled the transactions in my branch,” the witness said.

    He said that the accused came to his office to collect the cash payment, and that he only acted on instruction.

    “There was an instruction that Nwosu and Adedoyin be paid N264 million and it was on the instructions of Alison-Madueke that they were paid,” he said

    According to the witness, the accused signed a receipt of payment for the money they collected.

    The witness said that after the accused were paid, they left with the cash and did not pay it into any account in his branch.

    Meanwhile, under cross examination by defence counsel, Messrs Obinna Okereke and Nelson Imoh, the witness said that he did not know the purpose of the payment.

    “The only instruction we had is that they should bring means of identification and should be paid; we did not know the purpose of the payment,” he said.

    The case was adjourned until June 29 for continuation of trial.

    The prosecution had alleged that the accused persons committed the offence on March 27, 2015 by accepting bribe from the ex-Minister.

    They were alleged to have conspired to take possession of the sum of about N264 million which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The accused were also said to have made cash payments of the sum of about N235 million, which sum exceeded the amount authorized by Law, without going through a financial institution.

    EFCC alleged that Bashir also made a cash payment of about N70.1 million to Adedoyin without going through a financial institution and which sum exceeded the amount authorized by law.

    The prosecution also alleged that Bashir also directly took possession of the sum of about N165 million which sum he ought reasonably to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    In count seven, Nwosu was alleged to have directly used the sum of N30 million which he ought to have known formed part of an unlawful act of gratification.

    The offences were said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3), 16 (2) and 18 (a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Amendment Act, 2012.

     

     

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  • N1.64bn fraud: Nyame didn’t receive N100m in my presence, witness tells court

    A defence witness, Philip Akolo, who was an orderly to former Taraba governor, Jolly Nyame, on Tuesday told an FCT High Court Gudu, that he never saw him receive N100m.

    Akolo said this during cross examination by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).

    Jacobs had said that former Taraba Government House Accountant, Mr Abdurahman Mohammed, had testified that on the eve of president Obasanjo’s visit to Taraba in April 2007, he had taken N100million to Nyame.

    The witness, who said he was always with the ex-governor, denied seeing the accountant coming in with two bags of money and giving it to the governor.

    The witness, who is currently a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Gombe Divisional Police Command, testified that as an orderly to Nyame during his tenure, he was the closest to the governor.

    “It was not possible for anyone to see him without my knowledge, no exceptional cases. When he goes to bed, I’ll retire and leave the body guards to take over.’’

    He also denied, upon cross examination, the testimony given by prosecution witness no. 8, Mr Abdurahman Mohammed, that he also took money in excess of N24million to Nyame in Abuja.

    Akolo said, “apart from allowances which he signed on behalf of the governor, “nothing was brought to the government house in Abuja.’’

    He also denied that the then Permanent Secretary, Mr Dennis Nev, ever brought money to Nyame `, adding “apart from files he normally carried he never saw, him with any other thing.’’

    On his relationship with the former Taraba helmsman, the witness said that his relationship “was official.

    He said throughout the eight years as an orderly to Nyame, he was only conversant with the security aspect of his work and not the administrative procedures.

    “I don’t know about the finance of Taraba government house or how the governor was being paid, apart from travelling allowances.’’

    He said he never knew if the governor requested for funds from the Permanent Secretary nor the receipt of those funds.

    He said the only time he was not with Nyame was when the ex-governor travelled abroad.

    He also said he was not a member of Taraba state executive council nor did he attend their meetings, and was not privy to their deliberations.

    He, however admitted that he doesn’t know the people the governor related with when he travelled outside the country.

    “But if he does something against the law or the constitution, I have no say in that because the law must take its course,’’ Akolo said.

    Justice Adebukola Banjoko adjourned hearing in the until May 15.

     

     

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  • We recovered $1m from Badeh’s wardrobe – Witness tells court

    We recovered $1m from Badeh’s wardrobe – Witness tells court

     

    A Prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of ex-Chief of Defence Staff, Alex Badeh, on Tuesday told the Federal High Court, Abuja that his team recovered $1m from Badeh’s wardrobe.

    According to a report by Daily Post, the 15th witness to testify in Badeh’s trial, Mr Goji Mohammed, said he was part of the EFCC team, led by Mr Isyaku Sharu, that conducted the search in Badeh’s house in Asokoro, Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the ex-Chief of Defence Staff is standing trial on money laundering, which he allegedly committed while serving as Chief of Air Staff.

    The witness also said the team recovered some bank documents, land documents, tax documents and few other instruments.

    Mohammed further said that the commission received intelligence report on another property located at No. 6 Ogun River Street Maitama, which was found to be Badeh’s property.

    He said they accessed the building through the balcony by climbing, adding that they invited the security man of the neighbouring house to witness the search.

    He said, “When we climbed in, we were in the living area upstairs, so we used the stairs and went to the living area downstairs and started our search from there.

    “When we got to the biggest room in the house, we saw a wardrobe, on opening it, we saw a bag and on opening it, it contained foreign currency.

    “We saw 16 bundles of $50 and two sealed bundles containing $100,000 which we estimated to amount $1m.

    “On further counting the money in our office we discovered it was exactly $1m.”

    He said they also found a red box which he could not precisely remember what was inside, adding that they also found two waybills of furniture supplied to the building.

    When the prosecution sought to tender the search warrant, the red box and the waybill as evidence, the move was objected to by the defence team.

    The counsel for the defendant, Mr Lasun Sanusi (SAN), objected to the admissibility of the items, saying they were purportedly obtained from an illegal search.

    Sanusi said the law gave the owner of the property the impetus to nominate a representative to witness such search if he or she could not be present.

    “My Lord, the witness had earlier confirmed that when they were to conduct a search on the defendant’s house at Asokoro, they took him along to witness the search, why was this other one different.

    “It is on record that the defendant was still in detention when the purported search was done in his house at Maitama which is a clear violation of the law.

    “My Lord, we are not against the court admitting the search warrant as evidence but we vehemently oppose to the admissibility of the other items,’’ he said.

    On his part, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), argued that Section 149 and 150 of ACJA which deals with house search warrant permitted the presence of two witnesses.

    “This permission covers the person to whom the warrant is addressed and a neighbour within the neighbourhood the property is located,’’ he said.

    The presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, however, adjourned the matter till Feb. 22 for continuation of hearing.

     

  • N8bn Currency scam: Witness says syndicate behind fraud in CBN

    N8bn Currency scam: Witness says syndicate behind fraud in CBN

    Mr Edwin Ennah, a witness in the case of alleged N8 billion CBN currency scam on Tuesday said that there was a syndicate at the Ibadan branch of the apex bank behind the fraud.

    Testifying before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel, Ennah, a retired Head of Currency Processing and Disposal Unit, said that he discovered that some people were replacing cut newspapers and lower denominations with N1,000 that were supposed to be destroyed.

    He said that since he made the discovery in 2013 no investigation had been conducted by the branch to establish the veracity of this discovery.

    Ennah added that his investigation revealed that there were 11 boxes which were supposed to be containing N10 million each of N1,000 denomination, totalling N110 million.

    These, he added, were replaced with either lower notes or newspapers cuttings.

    The witness stated that CBN lost over N65 million in that singular incident.

    He further said that upon the discovery that there was a mix of cut newspapers and lower denominations in the boxes sent by Sterling Bank, he asked the bank to send their representatives to witness the inspection of their boxes.

    Ennah said that he was, however, surprised that the bank declined response until he reported the matter to the CBN office in Abuja which compelled it to comply.

    Meanwhile, the fifth accused person, Emmanuel Ordia, on resumption of trial filed a bail application on grounds of ill health.

    The prosecution counsel, Adebisi Adeniyi, prayed the court to reject the arguments adduced by the defence counsel, A. Adebayo.

    Ayo-Emmanuel adjourned ruling on the bail application and further trial to Wednesday.

    It would be recalled that Kolawole Babalola, Muniru Olaniran, Kayode Togun, Ibrahim Salami and Emmanuel Ordia along with others had since 2015 been standing trial over multiple charges.

    The charges border on conspiracy, conversion, forgery, stealing and re-circulation of mutilated N8 billion at the Ibadan branch of CBN.

  • My in-law forcibly had sex with me, my 2 sisters, witness tells court

    A 17-year-old school dropout, on Friday, told a Jikwonyi Customary Court, Abuja, that her sister’s husband forcibly had sexual intercourse with her, and two other sisters.

    The teenager, who resides in Minna, gave the testimony as a witness in a divorce petition filed by her elder sister, Janet Suleman, against her husband, Philip Ogho.

    “When I was living with my sister, her husband attempted to sleep with me but I never agreed. Whenever I refused, he beat me.

    “One day he asked me who I am, that he can’t have sex with me, that he has sexed my other two sisters living with them,” she testified.

    The witness said that her sister’s husband kept on maltreating her until she gave in to his request.

    “He kept on beating me, and then one day I could not bear it again, so I allowed him to sleep with me.

    “He threatened to deal with me if I tell my sister. I didn’t tell my sister but I told the other two he had sex with,” she told the court.

    She told the court that she left her sister’s house because her sister’s husband kept coming to have sex with her every night.

    The Court’s President, Everyman Eleanya, however, ordered that a hearing notice be placed at the Ogho’s residence because of his continued absence in court since the commencement of hearing in the case.

    Eleanya adjourned the case till Jan. 31 for hearing.

     

  • Revealed! How Justice Ademola stashed cash in Ghana-must-go – DSS witness

    The second prosecution witness Mr Ike Onuoha, told an Abuja High Court on Tuesday how the Department State Services made startling recoveries from Justice Adeniyi Ademola’s house in Abuja.

    Ademola, his wife, Olabowale, and Joe Aji (SAN) were being tried by the Federal Government for alleged intent to receive gratification

    Onuoha, an officer of the DSS, led the search team that conducted the search at The Ademola’s house.

    Earlier, first witness, Ifeoma Ofornagolu, had told the court under cross examination by Onyechi Ikpeazu, that she spoke with Aji on two occasions.

    The first was when he asked her if she would be in Calabar for the carnival of that year, and the second was after the payment for the purchase of the car for Ademide .

    “I met Ademide personally during our presale talks at our showroom at Victoria Island, Lagos. I asked him who Aji was, and he said his father’s lawyer.”

    Under cross examination by Clarke, the witness said that the totality of the transaction was made by Ademola and I spoke to Aji on phone for the payment.

    “I had a presale talk with Ademide before the car was sold and said he wanted a regular car and we qualify the buyer based on his requirement, his budget and need.”

    Ofornagolu said she could not determine where Aji was speaking from during re-examination by Jegede.

    Ikpeazu objected to the question, saying that it did not arise from the cross examination)

    Onuoha in his evidence in chief said on Oct. 7, himself and his team was instructed to carry out a search in the house of the first defendant.

    “We were briefed based on some petitions and information related to incriminating act.“

    He said it was an eight-man team, l did not know the first defendant, adding they arrived at his residence at Apo, Abuja, and there was power failure.

    The witness said that they met the gateman who later called the cook named Ken.

    Ken, he said, told them that the judge was not in the house after an introduction and our mission.

    Onuoha said that they knew the judge was in the house and had to forced the pedestrian gate open when they were denied entrance with coral bars.

    The witness said Ken called the first defendant severally but he refused to pick and later sent text message that he was not in town and after repeated calls he switched off his phone.

    “We had no alternative than to force the main gate open when we were not given the keys. We checked all the rooms until we got to the master bedroom.

    “When we eventually saw him, I introduced myself and our mission and showed him the search warrant.

    Ademola called his lawyer as he requested on the phone and he came, introduced himself as Joe Aji (SAN) and he went upstairs to speak with the first defendant.

    “When he came down he asked us to carry on with our search. We started on the ground floor and met a locked door but were not provided with the keys.

    “We forced open the door and saw a locked wardrobe and forced it open and we found a bag containing N39.1 million , 2 pump action riffle and 35 life ammunition, a flash drive.”

    Onuoha said in another locked room they discovered a black and white medium sized bag containing N8 .5 million in N1000 notes.

    He said at the master bedroom they discovered from a wardrobe N6 million, 121, 279 Dollars, 400, 400 Euro, 80 pound, 1, 010 Indian Rupees, six ATM cards, 8 cheque books, 8 deposit slips of various banks, 2 firearms licenses one with names A.I Mohammed and Adeniyi Ademola and also an IPad.

    Onuoha said the first defendant was watching them and after the search, inventory was taken and entered in the search warrant signed by himself and Justice Ademola.

    He said that the judge was then invited to accompany them to the DSS office at Asokoro with the recovered items.

    He said that Aji did not follow them rather he said he would come later.

    On tendered the search warrant and it was admitted as Exhibit B.

    Onuoha under cross examination by Ikpeazu said that he was not aware of the presence of any DSS officer in the house.

    He said four of the members of the team were armed with long riffle (assault riffle called Tabor for precaution.)

    He said that he heard on the media that DSS invaded some other judges’ houses and that he was aware of their own assignment only.

    Onuoha said there were no bullet holes on the doors.

    He said nobody told him that anybody was looking for his IPad and flash drive and that the Police discharges the duties of registering and licensing of firearms.

    He said he did not ask why one of the licence bore the name of A.I Mohammed who is also a justice of the federal high court.

    The witness said he did not see the second defendant, Olabowale Ademola in the house during cross examination by the second defendant’s counsel Chief Robert Clarke (SAN)

    When cross examined by counsel for Aji, Mr Jeph Njikonye, Onuoha said that he did not know the informants or petitioners and that the information was classified.

    He stressed that the source of information was classified and that they invited the defendant in a civilised manner to the DSS office.

    Justice Jude Okeke adjourned further hearing till Jan. 18 at the instance of the prosecution.

     

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  • Metuh asks court to summon Dasuki as witness in N400m fraud case

    A former National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, has asked the Federal High Court, Abuja, to summon former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, to testify in his trial.

    At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Counsel to Metuh, Mr Emeka Etiaba (SAN), reminded the judge, Justice Okon Abang, of a pending subpoena before the court to invite Dasuki as the next witness.

    Abang, however, advised that both the defence and prosecuting counsel liaise with the authority holding Dasuki to release him to appear in court.

    He said that it was only after the defence and prosecution had approached the relevant authority and the authority refused to release Dasuki to them that they should come back to him.

    Counsel to the second defendant Tochukwukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) however said it was the duty of the court to issue a subpoena to anyone to appear in court.

    The defence team filed the subpoena on Dec. 2, 2016.

    It was premised on the grounds that since the allegation against Metuh revolved around Dasuki, it was important for Dasuki to be a witness in the matter.

    Meanwhile, following the stalling of the case on Tuesday due to the ill-health of Metuh, the defence, at today’s sitting presented a medical report from the National Hospital with details of his health condition.

    The defence team told the court that Metuh was unable to appear in court because he was admitted at the National Hospital for complications arising from spinal cord injuries.

    Etiaba said that the medical experts handling the defendant’s ailment were unable to give the specific date for his full recovery due to the nature of the ailment.

    He asked the court for a three-week adjournment for the defendant to recuperate and also seek further medical attention.

    Onwugbufor, for his part, told the court that he had seen the medical report and that he was suffering the same ailment as the defendant.

    He said he was able to get the right medical care only in London, and urged the court to look at the defendant’s case with compassion since his condition was even more critical than his.

    According to him, what Metuh is suffering is excruciating and requires expert attention to ensure full recovery.

    Prosecuting counsel, Mr Sylvanus Tahir, said that he was not opposed to an adjournment, adding that the prosecution sympathised with the defence and wished the defendant quick recovery.

    “We have been served with the medical report of the defendant and we have little or nothing to say since the record speaks for itself. All we can say is that we extend our sympathy to the defence.

    “With regards to the request for a three-week adjournment, we are taking them by their word since the medical report did not give an indication about how soon the defendant will be discharged.

    “It only says his management will continue until he gets well and I am not opposed to the adjournment,’’ Tahir said.

    Abang adjourned continuation of hearing in the matter till Feb. 21 and Feb. 24.