EFCC Witness Contradicts Testimony in Agunloye’s $6bn Mambilla Trial

Proceedings in the alleged $6 billion Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, took a dramatic turn on Monday after a prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) contradicted his earlier testimony during cross-examination.

The witness, Iliya Iyakwari, who appeared as the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), was testifying before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo, Abuja.

Agunloye is facing trial over alleged infractions linked to the award of contracts connected to the multi-billion-dollar Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.

At the resumed hearing, defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), sought permission from the court to confront the witness with the contents of a document already admitted as an exhibit.

The document, according to the defence, was presented as an extract of proceedings from a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting and formed part of the evidence relied upon by the prosecution.

During questioning, Adedipe asked Iyakwari to confirm the date on which he certified the document. The defence lawyer referred to an earlier statement made by the witness during his evidence-in-chief, where he allegedly claimed that the certification took place in June 2023.

However, when confronted with the document, the witness denied certifying it in June 2023, stating that no such date appeared on the document.

He maintained before the court that he did not certify the exhibit in June 2023, a response that appeared inconsistent with his earlier testimony.

Seizing on the discrepancy, Adedipe challenged the witness and asked whether it meant that his previous evidence before the court was untrue.

“So your evidence to this court that you certified it in June 2023 is not true?” the defence counsel asked.

The question immediately drew an objection from the prosecuting counsel, Abba Mohammed (SAN), who challenged the line of questioning.

The court subsequently considered the objection as proceedings continued.

The development marked a significant moment in the ongoing trial, with the defence seeking to question the credibility and consistency of the prosecution’s evidence.

The case centres on allegations surrounding the award of contracts linked to the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, one of Nigeria’s largest proposed power generation projects.

The matter was adjourned for the continuation of hearing as both parties prepare to present further arguments and evidence before the court.