Justice A.O. Faji of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has adjourned to March 10, 2020 for further hearing in an N8.5bn fraud trial involving Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe (Retd.), a former Commander of the Joint Military Task Force, JTF.

Atewe is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Kime Enzogu and Josephine Otuaga on a 22-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and money laundering to the tune of N8.5billion.

The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to defraud NIMASA of the said sum, using six companies namely: Jagan Limited, Jagan Trading Company Limited, Jagan Global Services Limited, Al-Nald Limited, Paper Warehouse Limited, Eastpoint Integrated Services Limited and De-Newlink Integrated Services Limited.

At the resumed sitting today, February 25, 2020, the prosecution called its third prosecution witness, (PW3), Dabi Gideon Dachung, a Forensic Analyst with the EFCC.

Dachung, who was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that, in June 31, 2016, a letter of request was forwarded to the EFCC forensic laboratory from the Lagos Zonal Office of the EFCC requesting examination, comparison and report on two sets of documents.

“The documents contained disputed handwriting and signatures. Upon receipt of the letter at the lab, the case was registered and assigned a lab number. The case was assigned to me for examination, comparison and report giving and I relied on the basic principles of handwriting techniques and the use of stereo microscope,” he said.

During the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Oyedepo, confronted the witness with one of the documents (a payment acknowledgment signed by the 4th defendant), which he (the witness) identified.

The prosecution counsel, Oyedepo, therefore, sought to tender the document in evidence.

However, the defence counsel opposed the admissibility of the document on the grounds that it had previously been rejected by the court.

Earlier, while giving his evidence, Dachung had told the court that the EFCC forensic laboratory receives cases from within the EFCC and other law enforcement agencies, security outfits and the Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS.

Justice Faji adjourned till March 10, 2020 for ruling on the admissibility of the document and continuation of trial.


Media & Publicity

February 25, 2020