The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ‘s witness, John Ibrahim, on Thursday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how over N4.6 billion was allegedly diverted from the coffers of the Bauchi State government.
Ibrahim, an investigator with the EFCC and 1st prosecution witness (PW-1) in the ongoing trial of Bauchi State’s Finance Commissioner, Yakubu Adamu, told Justice Emeka Nwite while being led in evidence by the commission’s lawyer, M.O. Adebayo, SAN.
The PW-1, in the open court, said he knew Adamu and his company, Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, which is being prosecuted as 2nd defendant in the money laundering offence.
“My lord, sometime in May 2024, the commission received intelligence reports against the fraudulent activities of the 1st defendant and his company.
“The intelligence has it that the 1st defendant used an account called I. S. Makayya Investment Resources Ltd with account number: 4091670187 belonging to the same I. S. Makayya Investment Resources Ltd.
“The account is domiciled in Polaris Bank, where the 1st defendant was serving as Branch Manager in Bauchi.
” That the account was used to receive funds belonging to the state government and thereafter disbursed to individuals and companies, including a company called Ayab Agro Products and Freight Company Ltd, 2nd defendant,” he said.
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The witness said the commission accepted the intelligence report and commenced investigation in earnest by writing to the bank, requesting the bank statements of I.S. Makayya Ltd.
According to him, we received the response and analysed it accordingly.
“While analysing the statement, my lord, we saw an inflow of N4 billion and N650 million into the account of one Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises with account number 4091707386 domiciled in Polaris Bank, Bauchi.
“When we analysed the account of Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises, we discovered parts of the funds that was transferred to I. S. Makayya Investment Resources Ltd was a loan granted to Emmanuel Asomugha to supply 15, 000 motorcycles to Bauchi State’s civil servants.”
He said this was approved and confirmed by Adamu while acting as Branch Manager, Polaris Bank, Bauchi.
“We invited the MD of I. S Makayya, he made his statement, and we asked him whether he is a contractor in Bauchi State, and he said he is not.
“We asked him on what basis his account received over N900 million from the account of Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises.
“He stated that all the inflows and outflows into his account were carried out without his knowledge,” he said.
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The PW-1 said the investigating team saw transfers of about N266 million from the account of I. S. Makayya into Ayab Agro Products account.
He said the team wrote to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and received responses.
He said the responses were analysed, and it was discovered that Adamu is a director in the company.
“We also wrote to Fidelity Bank, requesting the account statement of Ayab with account number 5600589345.
“We analysed the statement of account as well as the mandate card.
“We invited Emmanuel Asomugha General Enterprises, my lord.
“We interviewed him in the presence of his lawyer, and he volunteered a statement,” he said.
Besides, the witness said Adamu was invited to the EFCC’s office for clarification on why Ayab Agro Ltd received funds meant for the purchase of motorcycles for the civil servants of Bauchi State, but he failed to report.
