Witness Narrates How Ex-Naval Chief, Jibrin Diverted 600mln Naira

Hearing on a corruption case involving a former Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, resumed on Tuesday in an Abuja court, with a witness giving account of alleged funds misappropriation. 

He is being tried with two other officials of the Navy – Rear Admiral Bala Mshelia (rtd) and Rear Admiral Shehu Ahmadu (rtd).

The witness, Mr Shehu Mohammed Ala, is the first witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and he testified before Justice A. S. Umar of the Federal Capital Territory’s High Court in Maitama.

While being led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Joseph O. Uzor, Mr Ala, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that the former naval chief allegedly laundered 600 million Naira from the account of the Nigerian Naval Engineering Services Limited.

He said: “In August 2010, the EFCC received a petition on a fixed sum of money in Petrus Ogu Nigeria Limited domiciled with Diamond Bank Plc. I was given the task of investigating the petition”.

Testifying further, Mr Ala told the court that he immediately wrote to Diamond Bank in respect of Petrus Ogu account.

He noted that the response, which was prompt, showed that, the 600 million Naira was on March 13, 2014 transferred to the Diamond Bank account by the Nigerian Naval Engineering Services Limited which was done by the second and third defendant (Mshelia and Ahmadu), who were then the signatories to the account.

“We invited the second and third defendant for questioning. In the course of our interaction with them, they told us that, the ex-naval chief (Jibrin) told them to do so.

“We then wrote to Petrus Ogu Nigeria Limited where the money was deposited, Mr Peter Ogu, who was the signatory to the account at Diamond Bank said that, the money in the account was used by the first defendant to purchase the property at No.7, Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja,” Ala explained.

Supporting documents – Power of Attorney, Statement of Account and Proof of Evidence – were presented by the prosecuting counsel and admitted as exhibits A1 – A3.

The admissibility of the exhibits was objected by the Jibrin’s counsel, Y.C. Maikyau, but his objection was overruled and the documents were admitted in evidence.

The prosecution witness went on to explain to the court how investigation was conducted on Habour Bay International Limited, a company he said was linked to Mr Jibrin.

According to him, “Habour Bay International Limited has Mrs Lami Jibrin (wife of the first defendant) as the director and his (Jibrin) son, a top member of company”.

He insisted that investigations established that the name of the company (Harbour Bay) was used for the purchase of the property at No.7, Colorado Close, Maitama, Abuja.

Under cross-examination by Maikyau, Ala maintained that the ex-Naval Chief ordered the transfer of the 600 million Naira to Petrus Ogu’s account which he used to purchase the alleged property at No.7 Colorado Close Maitama, Abuja.

After the cross-examination, the judge adjourned the case to December 6, 2016 for continuation of trial.