RismadarVoice Reporters
February 17, 2026
Federal Executive Council (FEC) under former President Olusegun Obasanjo directed former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, to withdraw the memo awarding the Mambilla Power Project contract to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited, a prosecution witness told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday.
The Third Prosecution Witness (PW3), Umar Hussein Babangida, an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), made the disclosure while testifying before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at the Federal High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, the witness maintained that FEC did not instruct Agunloye to reduce the Federal Government’s equity participation in the project to 10 per cent, but instead directed him to withdraw the contract award memo entirely.
When asked about a legal opinion contained in Exhibit EFCC 3s by former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, which reportedly advised the Federal Government to revive the contract award due to its legal implications, the witness dismissed it as merely the opinion of the former AGF.
He similarly dismissed another legal opinion by a former Attorney General, Abubakar Malami, SAN, dated May 20, 2016, which supported Aondoakaa’s position on the Mambilla Hydro Electric Power Project.
During further cross-examination, defence counsel sought to question the witness on whether he was aware of terms of settlement allegedly entered into in 2012 concerning the contract award to Sunrise Power Transmission Limited. However, the prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, objected, and the court sustained the objection.
An attempt by the defence to question the witness on laws governing the privatization of aspects of the power supply chain, and whether any law mandates federal agencies to obtain FEC approval before issuing contract awards, was also opposed by the prosecution.
The prosecution described the question as “hypothetical, not factual and in the realm of speculation,” arguing that it violated Section 128 of the Evidence Act and that the witness should not be required to interpret or cite laws. The court upheld the objection.
Justice Onwuegbuzie subsequently adjourned the matter to Wednesday, February 18, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Agunloye is being prosecuted by the EFCC over the alleged $6 billion Mambilla Power Project fraud.
