Alleged $6bn Mambila Fraud: Imoke Told EFCC FEC Did Not Approve Contract – Witness

The trial of former Minister of Power and Steel Development, Dr. Olu Agunloye, continued on Monday before Justice J.O. Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, with fresh revelations from a prosecution witness linking the controversial $6 billion Mambila Hydro Power Project to alleged unauthorized actions.

The third prosecution witness (PW3), Umar Babangida, told the court that Senator Liyel Imoke, who succeeded Agunloye as minister, wrote to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited in 2003, stating that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) never approved the contract awarded to the company by his predecessor.

Agunloye is facing a seven-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the alleged fraudulent award of the Mambila power project and associated official corruption amounting to $6 billion.

According to Babangida, Imoke was invited by the EFCC during the investigation between August 2003 and November 2006. During his interaction with investigators, Imoke reportedly disclosed that he informed Sunrise in writing that the FEC, at its meeting on May 21, 2003, did not approve Agunloye’s memo proposing the contract award.

“Senator Liyel Imoke further told the EFCC that in his letter to Sunrise, he advised the company to participate in the future bidding process when the project was eventually advertised. He also noted that no approval was granted for the award of the Mambila contract to Sunrise during his tenure until he left office in November 2006,” the witness testified.

Babangida added that Imoke voluntarily submitted his statement in his own handwriting to the anti-graft agency.

However, when the witness attempted to disclose that the investigative team had compiled a general report on the matter and submitted it to their superiors, the defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, raised an objection. He argued that unless the said report was presented in court as evidence, it should not be referenced in the witness’s oral testimony.

In response, prosecuting counsel Abba Mohammed, SAN, maintained that the witness had the right to give oral evidence based on his role as an investigator, regardless of whether the report was tendered in court.

Justice Onwuegbuzie, after hearing arguments from both sides, adjourned proceedings to July 7, 2025 for ruling on whether the witness can orally testify about a document not before the court. The case was further adjourned to July 10 and 16, 2025 for continuation of trial.