‘I don’t know why Customs paid N12m into Ofili-Ajumogobia’s account’

A former Deputy Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service,
Mr Musa Tahir, on Thursday said that he had no clue why the service
paid N12m into Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s bank account.

Giving his testimony during cross-examination by Mr Olawale
Akoni in the trial before an Ikeja High Court, Tahir said, “I have
seen Hon. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia but I have never met her one on
one.

“I don’t know why the former Comptroller General of Customs,
Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, said the money should be paid into my
colleague Musa Omale’s account to be forwarded into the company
account of the judge.

“I don’t have the paper in which the CGC wrote the directive;
the paper was handed over to Omale who worked in my office.

“I don’t know the source of the money, the CGC who gave the
directive is still alive.”

Tahir while giving his evidence-in-chief on May 26 had told the
court that the NCS had paid N12m sourced from 12 Area Commands into
the bank account of the judge.

In his May 26 testimony, Tahir had said, “Sometime in 2014, when
I was a Deputy Comptroller General, I was working at the NCS
headquarters Wuse, Abuja I was in the office of the CGC, Mr
Abdullahi Dikko, my immediate boss.

“Dikko handed a paper and the name and bank account details of a
company called Nigel and Colive was written on it.

“I was told to hand over the piece of paper to one Musa Omale,
who worked in my office and I was told by Dikko to liaise with Area
Comptrollers of 12 commands who will send some money to Omale who
will in turn transfer the money into the account.

“The twelve commands are; Tin Can Island, Lilibong Area,
Kirikiri Larger Terminal, Abraka, Seme Area Command, Murtala Area
Command, Area Command Field Operations Zone A and Area Command
Field Operations Zone B.

“Kaduna Area Command, Katsina Area Command, Federal Operations,
Zone C Area Command, Onne Area Command in Port Harcourt and Ogun
Area Command.”

After Tahir completed his testimony, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the EFCC
counsel, told the court that the prosecution had filed late, an
additional list of witnesses and had just served the defence that
morning.

The EFCC prosecutor said the proof of evidence of their next
witness – one Dr Olumuyiwa Solanke was served late on the defence
by their team due to a regrettable omission.

“Our next witness is one Dr Olumuyiwa Solanke, whose proof of
evidence was filed and served on the defence this morning.

“It is the constitutional right of the defence to adequately
prepare for their defence.

“I have to apologise to the defence for filing Solanke’s proof
of evidence just this morning, it was omitted from the file from
where I made copies of the other witness statements which were
earlier filed.

“I would not be opposing to their request for an adjournment,”
he said.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case until Sept. 29, for
continuation of trial.

Ofili-Ajumogobia, is standing trial alongside Mr Godwin Obla, a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former prosecutor of the
EFCC.

The two have been jointly charged with two counts of perverting
the course of justice.

Obla is facing an additional two counts of offering
gratification in the sum of N5m to Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public
official while serving as a judge.

Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge bordering on unlawful
enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption,
forgery and giving false information to an official of the
EFCC.

Both denied all the charges.

Nine witnesses including bankers and customs officers have so
far testified for the EFCC at ongoing proceedings about how the
judge allegedly laundered funds illegally into various bank
accounts belonging to her.

(NAN)

A former Deputy Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service,
Mr Musa Tahir, on Thursday said that he had no clue why the service
paid N12m into Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s bank account.

Giving his testimony during cross-examination by Mr Olawale
Akoni in the trial before an Ikeja High Court, Tahir said, “I have
seen Hon. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia but I have never met her one on
one.

“I don’t know why the former Comptroller General of Customs,
Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, said the money should be paid into my
colleague Musa Omale’s account to be forwarded into the company
account of the judge.

“I don’t have the paper in which the CGC wrote the directive;
the paper was handed over to Omale who worked in my office.

“I don’t know the source of the money, the CGC who gave the
directive is still alive.”

Tahir while giving his evidence-in-chief on May 26 had told the
court that the NCS had paid N12m sourced from 12 Area Commands into
the bank account of the judge.

In his May 26 testimony, Tahir had said, “Sometime in 2014, when
I was a Deputy Comptroller General, I was working at the NCS
headquarters Wuse, Abuja I was in the office of the CGC, Mr
Abdullahi Dikko, my immediate boss.

“Dikko handed a paper and the name and bank account details of a
company called Nigel and Colive was written on it.

“I was told to hand over the piece of paper to one Musa Omale,
who worked in my office and I was told by Dikko to liaise with Area
Comptrollers of 12 commands who will send some money to Omale who
will in turn transfer the money into the account.

“The twelve commands are; Tin Can Island, Lilibong Area,
Kirikiri Larger Terminal, Abraka, Seme Area Command, Murtala Area
Command, Area Command Field Operations Zone A and Area Command
Field Operations Zone B.

“Kaduna Area Command, Katsina Area Command, Federal Operations,
Zone C Area Command, Onne Area Command in Port Harcourt and Ogun
Area Command.”

After Tahir completed his testimony, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the EFCC
counsel, told the court that the prosecution had filed late, an
additional list of witnesses and had just served the defence that
morning.

The EFCC prosecutor said the proof of evidence of their next
witness – one Dr Olumuyiwa Solanke was served late on the defence
by their team due to a regrettable omission.

“Our next witness is one Dr Olumuyiwa Solanke, whose proof of
evidence was filed and served on the defence this morning.

“It is the constitutional right of the defence to adequately
prepare for their defence.

“I have to apologise to the defence for filing Solanke’s proof
of evidence just this morning, it was omitted from the file from
where I made copies of the other witness statements which were
earlier filed.

“I would not be opposing to their request for an adjournment,”
he said.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case until Sept. 29, for
continuation of trial.

Ofili-Ajumogobia, is standing trial alongside Mr Godwin Obla, a
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former prosecutor of the
EFCC.

The two have been jointly charged with two counts of perverting
the course of justice.

Obla is facing an additional two counts of offering
gratification in the sum of N5m to Ofili-Ajumogobia, a public
official while serving as a judge.

Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge bordering on unlawful
enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption,
forgery and giving false information to an official of the
EFCC.

Both denied all the charges.

Nine witnesses including bankers and customs officers have so
far testified for the EFCC at ongoing proceedings about how the
judge allegedly laundered funds illegally into various bank
accounts belonging to her.

(NAN)