Prosecution Witness Eight, (PW8), Hamma Adama Bello in the trial of former Head of Service (HoS), Winifred Oyo-Ita on Thursday, April 25, 2024 narrated before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, how the defendant and her subordinates diverted public funds into their private companies.
Oyo-Ita, the first defendant is facing criminal prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alongside her special assistants, Ugbong Okon Effiok (seventh defendant), Garba Umar (fourth defendant) and six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Limited, Slopes International Limited, U and U Global Services Ltd, Prince Mega Logistics Ltd and Good Deal Investments on 18-count charges bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3billion.
The witness, while being led in evidence by prosecution
counsel Faruk Abdullahi and H.M. Mohammed, told the court that Oyo-Ita used
Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited-fifth and sixth
defendants respectively, to fraudulently
award government contracts to herself through the fourth defendant, Umar. The
first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Ltd on February 2019 showed
that money was paid into its Zenith Bank account to the tune of N42,748, 201.47
( Forty-two million, Seven Hundred and
Forty-eight Thousand, Two Hundred and One Naira, Forty-seven kobo).
Umar, the witness said incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.
“We called for the account statements
of these two companies, upon analyzing them, we realized he (Umar) was paid
several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing where he is
an employee. And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he
was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several
occasions from the proceeds of the transaction,” the witness said.
On April 27, 2019, the witness
disclosed that a transfer of N20, 2027, 142
(Twenty Million, Two Thousand and Twenty-seven, One Hundred and
Forty-two Naira) was made in the name of Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account
of Asanaya Projects Ltd. The mandate
card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant,
Effiok.
Investigation, according to the
witness, also revealed that the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects
Ltd in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant and that approvals
were granted and payments made to the seventh defendant either through his
personal account or to the account of the company.
According to the witness, “The seventh
defendant upon interview, confirmed he never travelled for most of the funds he
received and that the first defendant was aware and benefitted on several
occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was
also opened by the seventh defendant.
“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and
U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances
and estacodes. Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made
directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40, 313,
453. 58 (Forty Million, Three Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Four Hundred and
Three Naira, Fifty-eight Kobo). This
particular payment was from the federal government.”
Further in his testimony, the witness
stated that “Exhibit O is the Fidelity Bank account of Prince Mega Logistics
Ltd. On March 27, 2018 and April 6, 2018, there were four entries, N4, 950, 000
(Four Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira); N3,946,000; (Three
Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-six Thousand Naira); N4,676,000 (Four Million, Six Hundred and Seventy-six
Thousand Naira) and N1,478,000 (One Million, Four Hundred and Seventy-eight
Thousand Naira) from Thomson Titus Okure who used to be a colleague of the
seventh defendant in the Account Department. There were also outward payments
to Ignom, Minaro Blessing, Winifred Oyo-Ita, Olarenwaju Godman Olushola and the
seventh defendant is the sole signatory of this account.”
Speaking further, he said “I also want
to add that we invited the first, second and seventh defendant at different
times to our office and interviewed them. In the case of the first defendant,
we printed chats from her phone and saw conversations she had with contractors,
subordinates and permanent secretaries, she also voluntarily made a statement
to the EFCC.
The matter was adjourned till April
30, 2024.
Media & Publicity
April 25, 2024
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