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EFCC wanted me to testify against Akpobolokemi, says NIMASA’S ex-DG

By Joseph Onyekwere
07 April 2017   |   4:33 am
A former Acting Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Haruna Jauro, has alleged that he was invited to testify against the former Director General, Patrick Akpobolokemi.

Ex-NIMASA Boss, Patrick Akpobolokemi

A former Acting Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Haruna Jauro, has alleged that he was invited to testify against the former Director General, Patrick Akpobolokemi.

Jauro told a Federal High Court yesterday in Lagos that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had summoned him to testify in an alleged fraud of N304.1 involving the ex-DG.

Jauro is facing fraud charges at a Federal High Court in Lagos. But, while Akpobolokemi is facing three different charges at the courts, another former NIMASA DG, Callistus Obi, is also joined in the alleged fraud.

Jauro is facing a 19-count charge bordering on fraud, alongside Dauda Bawa and Thlumbau Enterprises Ltd.

They were arraigned on April 12, 2016, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Jauro gave the evidence yesterday at the resumed trial-within-trial hearing preferred against him by the anti-graft agency.

Earlier in February, the court had admitted them to bail in the sum of N5 million each with two sureties each in like sum.

The EFCC’s prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo had called its first witness, Mr. Orji Chukwuma, who testified that some funds allegedly converted by the accused.

While Oyedepo sought to tender a written statement of the accused as evidence in court, Jauro’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo argued that the said statements were not voluntarily obtained.

This led to the trial-within-trial ordered by the trial judge, Mojisola Olatoregun.

He explained that after the EFCC had commended him when it came to his office, it however, changed tactics when it again summoned him and made him to fill in an asset declaration form, which his lawyer was not allowed to witness.

Justice Olatoregun has fixed April 28 for the adoption of the final written addresses.

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