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Alleged $6b Mambilla Project Fraud: Witness Clarifies Matters on Certification Of FEC Meeting Extracts
Alleged $6b Mambilla Project Fraud: Witness Clarifies Matters on Certification Of FEC Meeting Extracts
The Fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, in the trial of the former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 clarified what transpired over the certification of the extract of the minutes of Federal Executive Council meeting of May 21, 2026, before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Apo, Abuja, following the formal request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for the certified extracts of the minutes of the meeting.
The former minister is facing prosecution on an amended seven-count charge bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6billion (Six Billion United States Dollars) to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited.
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The witness, Iliya John Iyakwari, an assistant director of Legal in the Federal Ministry of Justice, now serving in the Federal Ministry of Power as an assistant legal adviser since August 2014, while being cross-examined by defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, stated that the request of the certified extract copy of the FEC meeting of May 21, 2003 was received from the EFCC in July 2023 and that the reason it was certified in 2024 was that, upon the receipt of the request letter from the User Department, the Legal Department did a forwarding memo to the EFCC, dated July 27, 2023 and that the copy that was first sent to the EFCC were not certified, forcing the Commission to return it.
“It was after it was received by EFCC in July 2023, that they realized that the extract was not certified. So, in January 2024, a staff of the EFCC brought back the Exhibit Three K to my legal adviser and the name of the EFCC staff is Babangida.
“He brought it handy and reminded my director that it was not certified. My director now gave me the document to go and certify. That is why my lord will see on the face of the document that the date the document was certified on 26 January 2024 is different from the date it was forwarded.
So, it was in the process of certification that I mistakenly stamped the original forwarding letter, dated 27 June 2023. After stamping the document I gave it back to my director who I believed handed it over to Babangida because I left them afterwards” he said.
Defending the position of the witness when he was asked if his early testimony of certification in June 2023 was contradictory, prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN, stated that the testimony of the witness was not contradictory, reiterating that the records speak for themselves.
“My lord, I object to this particular question, anchored on Exhibit PW5A which was just tendered in court. What I see in our record and what I believe is reflected in the records of the court is that in his explanation, he summarized that all these activities were done in June 2023, he never said the certification was done in 2023.

Fraud
This objection is founded on Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is superior to the Evidence Act. We will rely on the record of the court particularly in line 16,” he said.
The witness was also asked if the document Babangida tendered in court during his testimony was another extract of the FEC meeting different from the one he certified.
The prosecution counsel again objected, stating that the witness, following courts’ procedure was out of the court and hearing when Babangida testified, adding that the witness cannot be cross-examined on a document not tendered through him, citing the case of Buhari vs INEC & Others 2008.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter till June 18, July 2, 2026 for continuation of trial.
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Anthony Joshua Dedicates Comeback Victory To Friends Killed In Ogun Crash
Anthony Joshua Dedicates Comeback Victory To Friends Killed In Ogun Crash
Nigerian-British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has dedicated his victory over Kristian Prenga to his late friends and trainers, Sina Ghami and Latif “Latz” Ayodele, after overcoming two knockdowns to secure a second-round knockout win.
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The bout, watched online, marked Joshua’s first fight since a car crash in Ogun State, Nigeria, in December claimed the lives of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, his personal trainer.
Joshua entered the ring wearing camouflage attire bearing the names of the deceased coaches in their honour.
Speaking after the fight, the former world heavyweight champion described the victory as a tribute to their memory.
“It’s what champions do. We rise, we get knocked down and we stand up and keep going. That’s life.
“It was more than punch power. That was spirit, that was Latz, that was Sina and their families. It still hurts to talk about it. It’s been tough,” he said.
Joshua, who started the contest as the overwhelming favourite, suffered a dramatic opening round after Prenga knocked him down twice within the first three minutes.
However, the British boxer recovered to dominate the contest, eventually stopping the Albanian in the second round to remain on course for a highly anticipated showdown with fellow Briton Tyson Fury.
Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, praised the former champion’s resilience, describing his performance as remarkable given the personal tragedy he had endured.
“To even step into the ring was astonishing,” Hearn said.
He added that Joshua had used his training camp to remain focused while coping with grief, noting that the fighter had shown exceptional determination after being knocked down twice.
Hearn also confirmed that contracts had been been signed for the long-awaited heavyweight clash between Joshua and Fury, although the date and venue have yet to be announced.

Anthony Joshua
Fury, who defeated 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday, did not attend Joshua’s fight as he returned to the Isle of Man after his bout.
“I respect everything he has achieved, but this is the fight we’ve been calling for and now we’re here.
“I hope the fans will enjoy it.
“I’ve learned that I can’t be stopped, I won’t be denied, and we’re coming.” Joshua added.
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Babachir Lawal: Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket Has 70% Chance Of Winning In 2027 election
Babachir Lawal: Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket Has 70% Chance Of Winning In 2027 election
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has said a joint presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso has a stronger chance of winning the 2027 presidential election than if both politicians had chosen to contest separately.
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Lawal made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV released on Saturday.
According to him, an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket would stand a 70 per cent chance of victory, while he predicted that President Bola Tinubu would have a 50 per cent chance and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar would lose.
“Peter Obi will try to be fair to everybody. Peter Obi will try to do that which is right. Peter Obi, Kwankwaso, take note, I’m pairing them. I’m pairing them. Individually will be disaster, but I’m pairing them.
“So I’ll give them, on my own scale, close to like 70 per cent. Again, Bola, 50. Atiku, zero,” Lawal said.
“Definitely, Atiku will lose. He will, and I pray he loses. I’m not the only one, and he will lose,” he said.
Lawal’s comments come after his fallout with Atiku following his resignation from the African Democratic Congress.

Obi, Kwankwaso
The former SGF has repeatedly alleged that the ADC presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate was marred by widespread irregularities, claims the party has not officially accepted.
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ICPC: Responsible Data Handling Is Inseparable From Our Anti-Corruption Mandate
ICPC: Responsible Data Handling Is Inseparable From Our Anti-Corruption Mandate
The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, SAN, has affirmed that responsible data handling is inseparable from the Commission’s anti-corruption mandate, stressing that public trust depends not only on the Commission’s ability to investigate and prosecute corruption-related offences, but also on its capacity to protect personal information entrusted to it.
The Chairman made this known while declaring open a One-Day Sensitization and Awareness Programme on Data Protection and Privacy for officers and staff of the Commission held at the ICPC Headquarters, Abuja.
The programme, themed “Responsible Data Handling: Strengthening Accountability and Preserving Public Trust through Data Protection,” was organised to deepen awareness of responsible data management and strengthen a culture of accountability across the Commission.
Dr. Aliyu, represented by the Director, Legal Services Department, Mr. Henry Emore, noted that the Commission receives, processes, analyses, stores, shares and retains enormous volumes of information in the discharge of its statutory responsibilities, much of which relates to petitioners, suspects, witnesses, complainants, employees, contractors, consultants and members of the public.
According to him, every personal record in the Commission’s custody represents an individual’s dignity, privacy and trust, making it imperative for officers to ensure that such information is handled lawfully, responsibly and securely.
He explained that while data has become one of the most valuable assets in modern governance, enhancing decision-making, service delivery and investigations, its mishandling could expose individuals to harm, compromise investigations, undermine public confidence and damage institutional reputation.
The ICPC Chairman further stated that data protection is no longer the exclusive responsibility of ICT professionals or legal practitioners but has become an essential element of good governance, transparency, accountability and institutional integrity.
Emphasising that responsible data handling is integral to the Commission’s anti-corruption mandate, Dr. Aliyu urged officers to demonstrate integrity in the collection, access, use, disclosure, storage and disposal of personal information, noting that the principles of accountability, fairness, confidentiality and respect for individual rights must guide every aspect of the Commission’s operations.
He disclosed that the Commission has continued to strengthen its internal data protection governance framework through the establishment of the Data Protection and Incident Response Team (DPIRT), comprising officers drawn from various departments and units to identify compliance gaps, promote awareness, improve internal processes, strengthen incident response mechanisms and embed privacy considerations into operational activities.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commission’s Data Protection Officer, Barr. David Nwaze, described the sensitization programme as a strategic initiative designed to reinforce the understanding that data protection is not merely a legal obligation but a professional responsibility and a shared institutional value.
Barr. Nwaze expressed appreciation to the Chairman and the Management of the Commission for their unwavering support towards advancing ICPC’s data protection compliance journey.

ICPC
He urged participants to actively engage in the programme, ask questions, share experiences, and apply the knowledge gained in their daily responsibilities, stressing that protecting personal data is fundamental to safeguarding institutional integrity, preserving public confidence, and strengthening accountability within the Commission.
The event featured two paper presentations titled “Responsible Data Handling: Strengthening Accountability and Preserving Public Trust through Data Protection,” delivered by Mr. Inelegwu Egahi, and “The ICPC–NDPC Collaboration: Leveraging ICPC’s Institutional Mandate to Strengthen Data Protection Compliance in the Public Sector,” presented by a Nigeria Data Protection Commission official, Barr. Babatunde Bamigboye.
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