Hamza Abdullahi, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has narrated how N4.6 billion from the arms deal was traced to the son of Attahiru Bafarawa, a former governor of Sokoto.

Abdullahi appeared before Y. Halilu, the judge, at the federal capital territory (FCT) high court on Wednesday.

Bafarawa alongside Sagir, his son; Bashir Yuguda, former minister of state for finance; Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA); Dalhatu Investment Limited, a company owned by the former Sokoto governor; were arraigned by the EFCC.

The defendants are facing 25 counts of misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and receiving stolen property.

Their trial is connected to the alleged misappropriation of arms funds by Dasuki while he was NSA from 2012 to 2015.

On Wednesday, EFCC presented Abdullahi as the second witness in the trial-within-trial of the former Sokoto governor.

During the court proceedings, the EFCC witness said N4.633 billion was traced to the account of Dalhatu Investment Limited, where Bafarawa’s sons were directors.

The witness added that Sagir was the sole signatory to the company’s bank account.

The EFCC witness told the court that he was the second-in-command of special task force, fraud investigation on arms, defence equipment procurement in the office of NSA in 2015.

He said the team investigated the activities of 78 companies that received money from the office of the NSA without justification, adding that Dalhatu Investment Limited was among the companies.

Abdullahi said Sagir was interviewed on November 25, 2015 by the investigation team and that he made his statement voluntarily.

“My Lord, I witnessed the statement dated 25/11/2015 of Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa. He was interviewed in my presence, the statement was also recorded in my presence,” the witness said.

“At the conclusion of the written statement, I read it to him. Thereafter, I endorsed the written statement. I equally endorsed the second statement at 4pm and it was concluded by 4:25pm, the same day. I witnessed it, my name and signature were there.

“My Lord, there was nothing like promises made to the accused, threat or inducement. To the best of my knowledge, there was nothing like that.

“It was a very conducive environment and that was the secretariat of the special task force at the head office then.

“The secretariat is the conference room of the chairman, and no member of the special task force is authorized to make any promise in the course of investigation.

“When Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa honored our invitation, he came with his lawyer and he was confronted with the evidence that we have.

“Afterwards, he said he needed to consult his lawyer and later volunteered his written statement. These statements were based on the fact of the evidence we have on the company.”

After the witness’ testimony, Halilu adjourned the case to May 22, 2024.

Bafarawa served as the governor of Sokoto from 1999 to 2007.

President Bola Tinubu says he will continue to make difficult decisions on behalf of Nigerians.

Tinubu spoke during a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands on Thursday in The Hague.

Since his assumption into office in 2023, Tinubu’s administration has introduced new policies ranging from the removal of the petrol subsidy to the floating of the naira and the increase of electricity tariff.

Speaking at the meeting, Tinubu said the confidence he has in Nigerians gave him the courage to make difficult decisions on their behalf, given his full awareness of the “need to give them the long-term tools they need to succeed”.

Describing himself as a determined leader of the people, the president vowed to continue to “take the difficult decisions that will benefit our people, even if there is short-term pain”.

“We have gone through the worst of the storms,” Tinubu said.

”I am unafraid of the consequences once I know that my actions are in the best long-term interests of all Nigerians.

“The Nigerian Naira is one of the world’s best-performing currencies today. We took the necessary risk, and all resilient Nigerians kept faith with us.

“They will be rewarded, and the reward will only be greater as we partner effectively with you on new opportunities for development.

“As leaders, we must take decisions for the benefit of our nations, and we cannot shy away from that.”

Speaking on investment opportunities in the country, Tinubu told the Dutch government official that Nigeria is well positioned to power the clean energy future of the world, including Europe, with its high-grade lithium deposits.

He said the West African nation offers immense opportunities across a pool of sectors, adding that his administration is deepening reforms to enhance the investment climate.

The president said Nigeria seeks robust, balanced, and mutually beneficial partnerships that will spur value-addition in areas like solid minerals.

On April 22, Tinubu departed Abuja, the nation’s capital, for the Kingdom of The Netherlands on an official visit.

Hamma Bello, a prosecution witness, in the trial of Winifred Oyo-Ita, former head of service (HoS), has told a federal high court in Abuja how the first defendant and her subordinates allegedly diverted public funds into their private companies.

Oyo-Ita (first defendant) is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alongside Ugbong Okon Effiok (seventh defendant), Garba Umar (fourth defendant), her special assistants, and six companies: Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Limited; Slopes International Limited; U and U Global Services Ltd; Prince Mega Logistics Ltd and Good Deal Investments on 18-count charges bordering on misappropriation, official corruption, money laundering and criminal diversion of funds to the tune of over N3 billion.

While being led in evidence on Thursday by Faruk Abdullahi and H.M. Mohammed, prosecution counsel, Bello told James Omotosho, the presiding judge, that Oyo-Ita used Slopes International Limited and Good Deal Investments Limited, fifth and sixth defendants, respectively, to fraudulently award government contracts to herself through Umar.

He said the first entry transaction of Good Deal Investment Ltd in February 2019 showed that money was paid into its Zenith Bank account to the tune of N42,748,201.47.

The witness said Umar incorporated the company with Oyo-Ita’s full knowledge.

“We called for the account statements of these two companies, upon analyzing them, we realized he (Umar) was paid several sums of money from the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing where he is an employee,” Bello told the court.

“And upon interviewing the fourth defendant, he admitted that he was also a contractor. He also admitted to have paid the first defendant on several occasions from the proceeds of the transaction.”

He further disclosed that on April 27, 2019, a transfer of N20, 227,1 42 was made in the name of one Ibrahim Madu to the Zenith Bank account of Asanaya Projects Ltd.

He added that the mandate card of the account bears the signature and photo of the seventh defendant, Effiok.

The witness also said the seventh defendant incorporated Asanaya Projects Ltd in his name with the knowledge of the first defendant, noting that approvals were granted while payments were made to the seventh defendant either through his personal account or to the account of the company.

“The seventh defendant upon interview, confirmed he never travelled for most of the funds he received and that the first defendant was aware and benefitted on several occasions from the funds. The account of U and U Global Services Limited was also opened by the seventh defendant,” he said.

“In summary, from 2015 to 2018, U and U Global Limited received several payments in the form of Duty Tour Allowances and estacodes.

“Sometimes, payments from the federal government were made directly to the account, for instance, on March 24, 2016, he received N40,313,453.58. This particular payment was from the federal government.”