RismadarVoice Reporters
March 17, 2026
The trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, continued on Monday at the Federal High Court in Apo, Abuja, with a prosecution witness alleging that the former minister unilaterally reduced the Federal Government’s equity stake in the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project without presidential approval. ⚖️
Testifying before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, the third prosecution witness (PW3), Umar Hussein Babangida, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said the government’s recommended equity participation in the project was 25 per cent, equivalent to about $1.5 billion.
He told the court during cross-examination by defence counsel Adeola Adedipe (SAN) that Agunloye allegedly reduced the government’s stake to 10 per cent without authorisation.
The EFCC is prosecuting Agunloye on an amended seven-count charge bordering on official corruption and the alleged fraudulent award of a $6 billion contract for the Mambilla power project to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited.
Earlier in the proceedings, Justice Onwuegbuzie ruled in favour of the prosecution, allowing the witness to clarify discrepancies between documentary exhibits tendered by the EFCC and challenged by the defence.
Explaining the issue, Babangida stated that both Exhibits EFCC 3K and EFCC 3D contained extracts from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of May 21, 2003, relating to deliberations on the Mambilla project.
He said the wording in the two documents was identical, noting that one exhibit contained only a specific paragraph transmitted to the Ministry of Power, while the other included additional paragraphs from the same meeting record.
The witness further told the court that on May 22, 2003, a cabinet member was invited to provide further clarification on the project, referencing another document tendered as evidence.
Babangida also alleged that the defendant received N5.6 million as gratification linked to the contract award.
He said the funds were transferred in 2003 by Jide Sotinri on the instruction of his employer, Leno Adesanya.
According to him, Sotinri later claimed in an extrajudicial statement that the money was meant for surgery, but bank records reflected a different transaction description.
He added that there was no Ministerial Tenders Board in place at the time the contract was awarded, stating that the process was handled by a technical committee.
Following the conclusion of the defence’s cross-examination, Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case to March 30, 2026 for the re-examination of the witness.
Further hearing dates were fixed for April 20, 27 and 30, 2026 for continuation of the trial.
