N8.5bn Claimed Extortion: EFCC Drives Prove In Trial Of Ex JTF Authority, Atewe, Others

An indictment witness, Mr Nkem Ahidjo, on Friday, chronicled payment of assets at the continued trial of Maj.Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, accused of N8.5 billion misrepresentation, as EFCC drove prove in the trial of the blamed and two others. Atewe, previous Military Commander of the Niger-Delta Joint Task Force Operation Pulo Shield, is accused close by of Patrick 

Akpobolokemi, previous Director-General,Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Additionally charged are two other staff of the organization: Kime Engonzu and Josephine Otuaga. They are charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a changed 22 - check charge verging on misrepresentation. 

On Friday, the witness told the court that N35 million out of the N8.5 billion professedly redirected by the charged was paid to the Living Faith Church, prevalently known as Winners' Chapel. Driven in confirmation by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, Ahidjo presented himself as an Abuja-based representative, managing in stationary, printing and general contracts with five organizations in Abuja. 

He additionally said that he was an enrolled contractual worker with the National Assembly, the National Population Commission and the Independent National Electoral Commission, to which he made supplies. The specialist asserted to have known Atewe from Church in Villa, Abuja, where he said he and Atewe worshiped when the charged was a Guard Commander. 

The witness said that he additionally went to Living Faith Church where Atewe likewise worshiped. Ahidjo described to the court how Atewe moved to Bayelsa amongst July and September, 2014 where he filled in as JTF Commander.

 He said:"He welcomed me to Bayelsa and revealed to me that the Federal Government gave JTF a give for security and working of military quarters and on the off chance that I have any organization account into which cash could be paid. 

"Since I knew him exceptionally well, I gave the organization's record," The witness said that on his second visit to Atewe in Bayelsa, he was enlightened that three installments were concerning to be made into his organization's records and that when they were made, he ought to recognize the installments and anticipate assist guidelines.

"He said that inside a few days of the meeting, he began to get the installments and in like manner educated Atewe who requesting that he hang on till he (Atewe) came back to Abuja. The witness said that upon Atewe's arrival to Abuja; he welcomed him to his office, where he presented Engozu, (third denounced) as the individual that would take conveyance of the cash from Ahidjo. 

Ahidjo said that attributable to the volume of the monies, Engozu exhorted him to change the cash from naira to dollar before conveyance, andding that he likewise reached a Bureau de Change (BDC) administrator. 

He said that each time he got the cash, he would call the BDC administrator who might change the cash and after that he would pay him the naira proportionate and take the dollars. Ahidjo said that he got in regards to N5 billion inside the period out of which about N4.1 billion was changed over to dollars and conveyed to Engozu, who thus issued a receipt for every installment, in light of Atewe's guideline.

 The witness said that out of the rest of the sum, he was told by Atewe to exchange N35 million to Winners' Chapel; N103 million to INP Ltd; N170 million to First Investment Ltd; N99 million to Lord Fem Ltd; N88 million to Ocean Gas and N297 million to Cisco Nobot. 

The prosecutor then approached the witness the reason for exchanging the N35 million to Living Faith Church. The witness answered, "I don't recognize what it was really going after; was done on the direction of Maj. Gen. Atewe; I don't address what the cash was implied for. ''It is not my cash so I can't address what it is really going after. 

After the declaration, Justice Ayokunle Faji deferred to March 21 for continuation of trial. In the charge, the EFCC blamed the three denounced for plotting to occupy N8.5billion from Operation Pulo Shield between Sep. 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015, utilizing seven organizations. 

The six organizations are: Jagan Ltd; Jagan Trading Company Ltd; Jagan Global Services Ltd; Al-Nald Ltd; Paper Warehouse Ltd; Eastpoint Integrated Services Ltd and De-Newlink Integrated Services Ltd.