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The ongoing trial of Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, who allegedly impersonated the Personal Assistant to the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, continued on Thursday, October 22, 2026, before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, with the second prosecution witness, PW2, Tanko Abubakar, identifying items seized during the investigation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is prosecuting both defendants on amended four-count charge bordering on impersonation, conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence the sum of $700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).
Joshua, the first defendant who impersonated the Personal Assistant to Olukoyede, had conspired with Hashim, the second defendant and obtained the sum of $700,000.00 from a former Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority, NPA, Muhammad Bello Koko.
Both defendants hid under the false identity of EFCC operatives and approached Koko, claiming that his tenure as the M.D of NPA was being investigated by the EFCC, and further claimed that the EFCC Chairman and the Director of Operations requested $1,000,000 (One Million United States dollars) to stop the investigation. They finally settled with their victim on the sum of $700,000.00.
Abubakar, an EFCC operative attached to the Land and Property Section of the Ibadan Zonal Command, Oyo State, had told the court during his examination-in-chief on Wednesday that he was part of the team that investigated intelligence alleging that the defendants were attempting to defraud Koko.
He narrated how the team tracked the defendants and eventually arrested them, explaining that the second defendant was arrested at Crystal Palace Hotel, Area 11, Abuja, while the first defendant was later arrested at his residence. His testimony continued on Thursday, when he identified the items recovered during the investigation and the video recordings made by the team.
The PW2 while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Elizabeth Alabi, identified a brown bag containing marked currency, $100,000.00, three mobile phones and a white flash drive containing video recordings made during the investigation.
The witness told the court that his team recorded the second defendant during a video call with the first defendant to confirm receipt of the purported money.
“My team and I video-recorded the second defendant when he was making the video call with the first defendant, telling the first defendant that he had collected the money,” the witness said.
When asked to identify the contents of the brown bag, the witness said, “The sum of marked $100,000.00 US dollars which was taken from an exhibit.” He also identified the white flash drive used to store video recordings of the defendants, including recordings made while they gave their statements at the EFCC headquarters.
The witness identified a Samsung Galaxy Flip and a Samsung Galaxy Note as phones seized from the second defendant, while an iPhone 11 Pro Max was seized from the first defendant.
He also identified a black 2016 Toyota Prado Jeep with registration number GWA 666 EA, Abuja, which he said was seized from the second defendant and kept at the EFCC’s exhibit car dock before being brought to the court premises.
The prosecution sought to tender the items as exhibits. While the first defence counsel, O. Nwosu, did not oppose their admissibility, counsel to the second defendant, M. B. Inuwa, raised some objections
Justice Onwuegbuzie, after listening to all the counsel and their diverse submissions, admitted the Prado Jeep, Samsung Galaxy Flip, Samsung Galaxy Note, iPhone 11 Pro Max, marked $100,000, brown bag, and white flash drive as exhibits PW2A, PW2B, PW2C, PW2D, PW2E and PW2F, respectively.
He adjourned the matter to October 26 2026, for continuation of trial.
English (US) ·