How NIMASA Used Fashion Designer's Account To Siphon N546Million

Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court
in Lagos yesterday heard how former director-
general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration
and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick
Akpobolokemi and his co-accused used the
account of a fashion designer, Chukwuemeka
Onuoha, to siphon over N546,802,000 million
from the coffers of the agency.
Onuoha, who is the second prosecution witness
in the ongoing trial of Akpobolokemi and six
others, specifically told the court that various
sums were paid into his company, Extreme
Vertevex Ltd account even though he did not
tender any proposal or carry out any contract
for NIMASA.
The former NIMASA boss was arraigned
alongside Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene
Nwakuche, Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz
Ltd, Kenzo Logistics Ltd and Al-Kenzo Logistic
Ltd on a 22-count charge of illegal diversion.
In the charge, the accused persons were alleged
by EFCC of converting a total of N2,
658,957,666 between December 23, 2013 and
May 28 this year. The defendants pleaded not
guilty to all the counts.
At resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday,
while been led in evidence by the EFCC counsel,
Rotimi Oyedepo, Onuoha informed the court that
the disbursement of the money was facilitated
by the 3rd defendant (Ekene Nwakuche) who
was his secondary schoolmate.
According to the witness, he received the money
sometime in 2003. When the 3rd defendant
secured employment with NIMASA, he (Onuoha)
approached him and pleaded with him to
remember him if there was any contract he
could implement.
Onuoha also said that shortly after he made the
request, the 3rd defendant called him on phone
to enquire if he had any registered company that
could be used for transactions as well as the
company's accounts.
He further informed the court that not long after
his supplied details of his company and his bank
account to the 3rd defendant, he received
several alerts from his bank totaling
N546,802,000 million.
The witness maintained that on August 2014, he
received N21,802,000; on November 6, 2014, he
received the sum of N318 million and on
November 25, 2014 he received alert of N207
million into his account.
Onuoha said he was told to wait for further
instructions and later instructed to transfer the
money to different accounts by the 3rd
defendant.
The third prosecution witness, Hussein Sabo,
told the judge that on March 2014 he was
approached by one Muhammed Darlington who
told him that the 2nd defendants, (Captain
Ezekiel Agaba) wanted to buy dollars.
Sabo, who is a Bureau De Change operator,
alleged that Darlington paid several millions of
naira into his account which he used to buy
dollars. Sabo also confirmed that on March 3,
2014, monies were paid into his account namely,
N33, 800,000; N35, 000,000; N20, 000,000 and
N3, 000,000 respectively.
He also disclosed that between March 2014 and
December 2014 he received through his account,
N85, 305,000, N155, 300,000, N13, 000,000,
N10, 000,000, and N84, 000, 000 respectively.
However, there was a mild drama in court when
counsel to the 2nd defendant, E.G. Onyeka,
sought to know if the witness (Sabo) could read
and write either in Hausa or English languages.
Sabo, who said he could not read, was asked
how he wrote his statement tendered by the
EFCC and whether he was assured by the
prosecution that he would not be charged to
court for making the statement.
Justice Buba adjourned the matter till February
2,5, 16 and 19 respectively for further hearing.