Politics

Ohakim gave me $2.29m in cash for a house, witness tells court

Published

8 years ago

May 5, 2016

Ex-gov Ohakim dumps politics, laments Nigerian situation

A witness, Mr. Abu Sule, Wednesday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja how he collected $2.29 million in cash in Ghana-Must-Go’ bag from a former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, to help him buy a property in Asokoro, Abuja.

Sule, was called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as its second prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ohakim before the court.

The EFCC is prosecuting Ohakim on three counts of money laundering.

The witness stated this while being cross examined by Ohakim’s lead counsel, Anwa Kalu (SAN).

According to the witness, he collected the $2.29 million, which was an equivalent of N270 million, from Ohakim in $100 bills at night sometime in November 2008 and handed it over to the then owner of the property, Alhaji Isah Maidabino, the next day.

Sule, an architect and Managing Director of Tweenex Consociates H.D Ltd., disclosed that he kept the money in the boot of his car overnight before handing it over to Maidabino, now a director in the office of the Head of Service of the Federation.

Read also: Raging war in Saraki’s camp over Kwara 2019 governorship slot

Sule continued that he did not count the $2.29 million when the former governor handed over the money to him out of trust they had for each other but that he counted it alongside Maidabino when he handed it over to him.

He said: “The money ($2.29m) was given to me by the defendant. It was given to me in a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag and that was how I transported it. It was in $100 bills. I didn’t count the money and he (Ohakim) didn’t request for counting because we trusted each other. But I counted it along with Alhaji Maidabino.

He also said he did not issue a receipt because a receipt was not demanded and Alhaji Maidabino did not also issue any receipt to him but a deed of assignment and sale agreement to him at Unity Bank, Maitama, Abuja.

He confirmed that all his dealings with the former governor were always documented and that he had issued a receipt for a N20 milion transaction to the defendant.

He also disclosed that the sales agreement was between Tweenex and Maidabino and that up till date, Tweenex remained the registered owner of the property at 60, Kwame Nkrumah Street, Plot No 1098, Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, Abuja.

Trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, adjourned the trial till Thursday.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now