A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that Olugbenga Obadina received N2.1 billion from the office of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.) without executing any contract.
Bello Umar, the first prosecution witness (PW-1), made the revelation before Justice James Omotosho while being led in evidence by EFCC lawyer Ibrahim Buba. Obadina is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Almond Projects Limited, a company listed as first and second defendants in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/142/2016.
The trial relates to the alleged misappropriation of N33.2 billion intended for the purchase of arms during the administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan. The funds were earmarked to fight Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.
Umar, an EFCC investigator, explained that his team discovered Obadina had received the money without executing any contract after a complaint was lodged by the NSA’s office. He said the team wrote letters to the NSA’s office and banks to obtain Obadina’s payment schedule and bank statements, confirming that the payments were made in six tranches to accounts in Guarantee Trust Bank and Zenith Bank under Obadina’s and his company’s names.
“Obadina could not show any tangible projects because no contract exists,” Umar told the court. The witness also confirmed Obadina’s ownership of Almond Projects Limited through a Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) letter.
EFCC sought to tender several documents, including bank statements, CAC records, a letter from the NSA’s office, and Obadina’s extra-judicial statement. Obadina’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, objected to some documents, arguing they were not certified and that the extra-judicial statement was obtained in violation of the law, noting the defendant was held in EFCC custody for 40 days without legal presence or video recording.
Justice Omotosho admitted the GTB and Zenith Bank statements, the CAC document, and the NSA letter as exhibits, but reserved ruling on a May 5, 2016 letter from the NSA.
Obadina, who was re-arraigned on January 13, 2024, faces an eight-count charge of money laundering totaling N2.17 billion. He pleaded not guilty and was granted N500 million bail with two sureties.
In one of the charges, Obadina and Almond Projects Ltd were alleged to have directly received N648 million from the NSA’s CBN account on April 3, 2014, without a contract, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended).
The case, which was earlier heard before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba in 2016, was adjourned to December 2 for a ruling on the disputed NSA letter.
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