The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 23, 2019 presented four more witnesses in the ongoing trial of former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha, Aminu Wada Abubakar, Bamaina Holdings Ltd and Speeds International Ltd before Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The matter had been adjourned from November 23, 2018 following the failure of the fourth prosecution witness, Harry Charles, a Relationship Manager with Diamond Bank Plc, to produce original documents which were to be tendered in evidence, as opposed to the Certified True Copies which were presented before the court.
At the resumed proceedings today, Charles presented the original Diamond Bank Account Opening Packages and Statement of Accounts from July 2007 to December 2013 for Interior Woodwork Limited before the court.
According to him, โThe Statement of Accounts was generated automatically from a series of customer transaction entriesโ.
The documents were tendered by the prosecution and admitted by the Court in evidence as Exhibits M1 and M2, respectively.
Also tendered in evidence through Charles, were a Diamond Bank Account Opening Package for Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, Statements of Accounts from July 2007 to December 2013 and a Certificate of Identification which were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits O series, P1 and P2 respectively.
The fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, Aminat Abubakar Temitope, a Relationship Officer with Sterling Bank who presented, in response to a subpoena summoning her, the Subpoena, as well as, Mandate Cards, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC, documents, Memorandum of Association and Certificate of Incorporation which formed the Account Opening Package for a Sterling Bank Account opened in the name of Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company.
The documents were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits Q, S series respectively.
The witness also presented Sterling Bank Statements of Accounts for Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, and a Certificate of Identification, which were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits S1 and S2, respectively.
Shittu Ishaq Mansur, a Branch and Relationships Manager with Unity Bank, testified as the sixth prosecution witness, PW6.
The PW6 presented to the Court the subpoena summoning him, Account Opening Documents of Bamaina Holding Company, Statements of Accounts and a Certificate of Identification, which were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibits T, U series, V1 and V2, respectively.
The witness further presented to the court an Account Opening Package for Speeds International Limited containing a letter from the company for activation of the account, the data page of the first defendantโs (Lamido) international passport, Corporate Affairs Commission Registration Documents, Extract of Extraordinary Meeting held in 2006 of Speeds International Limited, Letters of consent by the first defendant (Lamido) and the Statements of Accounts of Speeds International Limited.
The documents were tendered by the prosecution and admitted in evidence as Exhibits W series, X1 and X2, respectively.
According to the witness, โAlhaji Sule Lamido is the sole signatory to the accounts of Bamaina Holdings and Speeds International Limitedโ.
Ibrahim Nasir, a Businesss Relationship Manager with Polaris Bank Plc. (formerly Skye Bank Plc.), who testified as the seventh prosecution witness, presented to the court the Skye Bank Account Opening Packages of Bamaina Aluminium Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Speeds International Limited and Mustapha Sule Lamido, as well as Statements of Accounts of all four accounts. The documents were tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibit Y series.
Prior to the examination of the witnesses, counsel to the defendants, Kanu Agabi, SAN, moved for the substitution of sureties for the second, third, fourth and eighth defendants. There was no objection by the prosecution.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to February 25 and 26, 2019 for continuation of trial.
