N8.5b Fraud: How I Helped Former JTF Commander Transfer N35m To Winners’ Chapel- Witness
A prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of former Commander of the Military Joint Task Force, operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe yesterday told a Federal High Court in Lagos how he transferred N35 million to the Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners’ Chapel on behalf of the accused person.
The witness, Nkem Ahidjo also told the trial judge, Justice Ayokunle Faji that the N35 million paid to the church was part of the N8.5 billion allegedly diverted by Atewe and his co-accused.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Atewe and ten others before the court on an amended 22 count charge of conspiracy, illegal conversion, and fraud.
Docked alongside Atewe are former director general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, Kime Engozu and Josephine Otuaga.
They are being tried alongside seven companies: Jagan Ltd; Jagan Trading Company Ltd; Jagan Global Services Ltd; Al-Nald Ltd; Paper Warehouse Ltd; East point Integrated Services Ltd and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd.
The EFCC in the amended 22-count charge alleged that the defendants sometimes in 2014 in Lagos converted the summer N8, 537, 586, 798.58 property of NIMASA contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amemdent) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
They were also alleged to have between September 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015 converted to personal use the sum of N2,006,270,930.67 through Jagan Limited, property of NIMASA.
They however all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Friday, Ahidjo, while being led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that he is a businessman, who dealt in stationery, printing and general contracts.
He stressed that he carried on his business under his five companies based in Abuja, and that he was a registered contractor with the National Assembly, the National Population Commission and the Independent National Electoral Commission, to which he made supplies.
The witness also stated that he knew Atewe from the Aso Villa Church in Abuja, where they both worshiped, as of when the retired general was still a Guard Commander.
Ahidjo further said, being a Pentecostal, he also attended Living Faith Church, and Atewe also worshiped there.
He claimed that he cultivated a good relationship with Atewe, to the extent that he attended “midnight church” in Atewe’s house in Abuja, three times a week.
The witness also told the court Atewe moved to Bayelsa between July and September, 2014 where he served as JTF Commander.
Ahidjo stated, “He invited me to Bayelsa and I went. He told me that the Federal Government gave JTF a grant for security and building of barracks and if I have any company into which account money could be paid. And being somebody I knew very well from Guard Commander to Major General, I provided the companies that I listed earlier.”
He maintained that on a second invitation and visit to Atewe in Bayelsa, Atewe told him that three payments were about to be made into his accounts and as soon as they were made he should acknowledge the payments and await further instructions.
The witness further testified that within two to three days of the meeting, he started to receive the payments and accordingly informed Atewe, who asked him to hold on till he (Atewe) returned to Abuja.
He claimed that upon Atewe’s return to Abuja, he invited him to his office at Niger Barracks in Abuja, where he introduced, Engozu, who is the 3rd defendant, as the person that would take delivery of the money from Ahidjo.
Ahidjo said in view of the volume of the monies, Engozu advised him to change the money from naira to dollar before delivery, and he according contacted a Bureau de Change operator, named only as Jimoh.
He said, “Each time I received it (money), I would call a BDC operator, named Jimoh. I knew him before this time. He would change the money, I would pay him the naira equivalent and take the dollars. Once I changed it, I would wait for instruction either from Major General Atewe or Mr. Kime. That was what we continued to do until the end of the transaction in 2015.”
He said he received a total of N4,915,163,103 within the period, out of which about N4.1bn were converted to dollars and delivered to Engozu, who in turn issued a receipt for each payment based on Atewe’s instruction.
Ahidjo said of the remaining amount, he was instructed by Atewe to transfer N35m to Winners’ Chapel; N103m to INP Ltd; N170m to First Investment Ltd; N99m to Lord Fem Ltd; N88m to Ocean Gas and N297m to Cisco Nobot.
Asked by the prosecutor the purpose of the transfer to Living Faith Church, Ahidjo said, “I don’t know what it was for; it was on the instruction of Maj. Gen. Atewe. All these monies, I don’t question what they were meant for. It is not my money, so I can’t question what it was for. Maj. Gen. Atewe asked me to act on instruction.”
Justice Faji adjourned the case till March 21 for Ahidjo to continue his evidence in chief.
