The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday continued to search its beam lights on the judiciary as two more Federal High Court judges, Justice Agbadu James Fishim and Justice Uwani Abba Aji appeared before the commission at the Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos zonal office.
Three other judges, Justices Mohammed Nasir Yunusa, Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa and Musa Haruna Kurya, had earlier reported to the Commission on Monday, October 17, 2016, and on October 18, 2016.
According to our EFCC source, some of the judges, accompanied by their lawyers, have so far been cooperating with operatives of the EFCC.
Meanwhile, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, one of the invited judges who was expected to show up at the Commission since Tuesday, is yet to honour the invitation.
In another development, a witness in the trial of Patrick Ziadeke Akpobolokemi, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, Kime Egozi and one Josephine Otuoga, yesterday, told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos how Major General Atewe, former Commander of the Joint Military Task Force, ‘Operation Pulo Shield’, disbursed over N8.5bn from the account of the JTF domiciled in Zenith Bank Plc.
According to the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, the witness, Teslim Ajuwol, a compliance officer with Zenith Bank, made the disclosure through the account statement of the JTF under Atewe.
The instruments forwarded to the EFCC by Zenith Bank showed that the second defendant and one Lieutenant Ikioubi Oyadugha are the signatories to the account and that all the debit transactions from the JTF were signed by the two men.
In respect of how the monies were disbursed, Teslim identified accounts of at least three companies to which part of the monies were sent. The companies are Jaggan Ltd, Lord Fem Engineering Services Ltd and First Investment and Property Ltd.
The account statements, account opening documents and certificates of identification of the three companies were identified by the witness and same admitted in evidence. Also, the instruments used to debit the JTF account were admitted as exhibit.
At the last adjourned date, the witness told the court that there were several transactions between the 5th and 16th of September 2014 to the tune of N1.9billion. At the resumed hearing today, Teslim added that there were more transactions between September 24, 2014 and May 18, 2015.
When it was time for cross examination, the defence counsel, M.M Ajuwa, E.I.M Ikuotu (SAN) and Mathieu G. Oka, moved for adjournment. Their prayer was granted by the court and the case was subsequently adjourned to November 22 and December 5, 2016, for continuation of trial.