By John Moses
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has submitted a statement from former President Olusegun Obasanjo as evidence in the ongoing trial of ex-Minister of Power and Steel, Dr Olu Agunloye, who faces allegations related to the controversial award of a multibillion-dollar hydropower contract.
Agunloye, who served under Obasanjo’s administration, is being prosecuted on a seven-count charge before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Abuja High Court. The charges include forgery, disregard for presidential directives, and accepting gratification, in connection with the award of the Mambilla Hydropower Project contract to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) in May 2003.
According to the EFCC, the contract was issued without proper authorisation, budgetary approval, or financial backing from the Federal Government. The Commission also alleges that the former minister received payments totalling ₦5.2 million from SPTCL and its promoter, Leno Adesanya, through intermediary Jide Abiodun Sotirin into his personal bank account with GTBank.
During Monday’s hearing, the EFCC’s third prosecution witness, Assistant Commissioner of Police Umar Hussein Babangida, revealed that former President Obasanjo had formally denied giving approval for the award. Obasanjo’s statement, dated 27 November 2023, was initially addressed to the Attorney-General and later authenticated by the Ministry of Justice.
“Obasanjo stated clearly that he instructed Agunloye to present the Mambilla proposal to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for review and that no approval was given at the May 21, 2003 FEC meeting,” Babangida testified.
He also confirmed that the EFCC team had interviewed Obasanjo in person during the investigation. According to the former president’s statement, Agunloye’s actions on 22 May 2003, when the contract was issued to SPTCL, were unauthorised and not representative of the Federal Government.
Defence counsel Samuel Fagade, appearing for lead lawyer Adeola Adedipe SAN, objected to the admissibility of Obasanjo’s statement but did not elaborate on the grounds, opting to reserve arguments for the final phase of the trial.
Further evidence presented to the court included financial transactions traced to Agunloye’s GTBank account from Sotirin, who was linked to companies owned by Adesanya. The transactions included transfers of ₦3.6 million, ₦500,000, and ₦1.1 million on three separate dates in 2019.
The trial has been adjourned to 18 June for continuation of the hearing.
