Ex-Minister’s Name Not In Bank Accounts, Documents Of Companies Linked To Alleged N31bn Fraud – EFCC Witnesses

Witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have confirmed that the name of the ex-minister of Power, Engr. Saleh Mamman, did not appear in any of the account-opening packages, signatory mandates, or account statements for the companies linked to the alleged N31bn fraud.

Justice Maryam Anineh of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, admitted in evidence documents tendered in the case.

The companies mentioned in the trial are Spinhills Biz International Limited, Silverline Ocean Ventures Limited, Beaver Builders Limited, Gurupche Business Enterprise, Breathable Investment Limited, First-class construction Project Limited, Royal Perimeter Ventures, Dannywest Limited, Dorino Bright Limited, Sipikin Global Ventures Limited, and Fullest Utility Concepts Limited.

Mamman and seven others, namely, Mustapha Abubakar Bida, Joseph Omotayo Adewunmi, Ben Nsikak, Stephen Ojo, Oladipo Adebowale, Michael Achua and Ogunjobi Olusila are standing trial on a nine-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, false pretence and intent to defraud to the tune of N31bn.

However, the prosecution witnesses did not establish that Mammam Saleh owned the companies, served as directors or exercised control over them.

Furthermore, exhibits tendered by the EFCC showed that the transactions in question occurred both before his appointment as Minister and after he left office.

Earlier in his evidence in chief before the court, Umar Abba, a Compliance Officer with the Zenith Bank, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, presented account opening packages, signatory mandate, statement of accounts for transactions on various accounts and a certificate of identification regarding the affected companies.

In his testimony, he said that sometime around March, 2025, the EFCC wrote to his bank requesting documents generated from his computer system, which were supplied to the Commission.

The documents were tendered in evidence with no objection and marked Exhibit A1-A4, B1-B4, C1-C4.

During cross-examination, counsel to the former minister (1st defendant) asked the witness whether the name of Engr. Saleh Mammam was not listed in any of the banking documents for the listed companies; he stated that his name was not there.

He was further asked whether the former minister was a board of director or a shareholder of the mentioned companies, and he answered in the negative.

In her own evidence, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Leadu Kpandei, a compliance officer with Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), tendered the accounts-opening packages, signatory mandates, statements of account for transactions on various accounts, and a certificate of identification in respect of Fullness Utility Concepts Limited.

Led in evidence by the prosecution witness, A.O. Mohammed Kpandei told the court that sometime in March 2025, her bank received a letter from the EFCC requesting the account-opening packages, signatory mandate, statement of accounts for transactions on various accounts, and a certificate of identification in respect of Fullness Utility Concepts Limited.

She told the court that Guarantee Trust Bank responded by letter dated March 13, 2025, attaching all the requested banking documents generated from the bank’s database, accompanied by a certificate of compliance in line with the provisions of section 84 of the Evidence Act.

Although some of the defence counsel reserved their objection to the admissibility of the documents to the address stage, Justice Anenih admitted them in evidence and marked them as exhibits E1-E4, respectively.