On Monday, Aliyu Mukadas, a witness in the trial of ex-Minister of State for Finance, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, and four others, told an FCT High Court in Maitama that the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, was always covert.
Other defendants in the trial include retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, ex-National Security Adviser, Attahiru Bafarawa, former governor of Sokoto State, his son, Sagir, and their company, Dalhatu Investment Limited.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting the former finance minister and four others on an amended 25-count charge of alleged misappropriation of N23.3 billion.
Under cross-examination by counsel for Bafarawa and his son, Professor J. O. Olatoke (SAN), the EFCC witness, Mukadas (PW1), told the court during the resumed sitting that ONSA’s operations were covert for security reasons.
According to PW1, a payment manager at the Central Bank of Nigeria, the operation of ONSA’s accounts with the apex bank was the sole responsibility of the account holder.
He told the court that, despite his lack of signature expertise, only Dasuki and one S.A Salisu signed the documents and presented them for payment through their representatives.
Mr Mukadas went on to say that he was unaware of the position of procurement officer in government parastatals.
PW1 also stated that he was not the officer involved in the transaction that led to the defendants’ case.
Despite the fact that the EFCC initiated the ongoing case in December 2015, he claims that he was only invited to give a statement on March 31, 2016 because he was a desk officer.
When Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Counsel for the 5th defendant, Dalhatu Investment Ltd, inquired about his schedule of duty, the witness stated that he only made payments when contracts were executed.
“They always find a name for such contracts for security reasons,” the EFCC witness told the court.
At the request of the parties, Justice Yusuf Halilu later adjourned the case until May 17.
On December 24, 2015, the EFCC arraigned the defendants before Justice Peter Affen, now of the Court of Appeal.
In October 2016, the case was transferred to Justice Hussein Baba-Yusuf, who is now the FCT Chief Judge.
The case has been stalled since it was first brought to court, owing largely to the former NSA’s detention by the State Security Service, SSS.
The defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu on an amended 25-count charge of misappropriation, criminal breach of trust, and receiving stolen property on May 24, 2022.
When the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not guilty.
NAN
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