The First Prosecution Witness, PW1, in the trial of Halima Buba and Innocent Mbagwu on Thursday, July 17, 2025 narrated before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja how the defendants routed multi-millions dollars in cash through him for transfers.
Both defendants, who are Managing Director/Chief Executive and Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank Ltd, respectively are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a six-count charge, bordering on money laundering to the tune of $12 million.
The witness, a bureau de change operator while being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, gave details of the multiple foreign exchange transactions that took place between him, the first defendants and Aisha Achimugu.
According to him, “Sometime in March 2025, I received a call from Aisha Achimugu that she has some forex transaction in Sun Trust Bank in Abuja and Lagos branches and I called the first defendant and she confirmed to me that she knows about the transaction. On the 13the of March 2025, I got a call from Iliya, a staff of Aisha Achimugu that he was in Sun Trust Bank Abuja for payment of the $1 million as a swap to be paid into Aisha Achimugu’s Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas account, domiciled in Zenith Bank, which I confirmed from the first defendant. I contacted my friend Hassan of Ashrof Energy, who sent Tijani for the collection of cash payment. On that same day, I also got a call from the first defendant that Aisha sent Iliya on the same day that he is at SunTrust Bank Wuse 2, Abuja and I contacted my friend Tirzi of Triple A, who sent Abdulkadir Mohammed to collect a cash payment of $1million. I also later sent Kabiru to receive a cash payment of $2 million for swap.”
Further in his testimony, he said, “Aisha Achimugu called me that she needed to buy an oil block and she will need dollar inflow into the Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas account in Zenith Bank. I got to know Aisha Achimugu sometime in 2021 through the first defendant and we met at SunTrust Bank.
“On 13th March 2025, I got a call from Aisha Achimugu that some cash payment of $1 million is available in SunTrust, I called the first defendant for confirmation and she sent me a normal message through WhatsApp. When I called Mr Innocent, the second defendant he said he was not aware of the transaction, so I sent a message to the first defendant about the response of the second defendant and she sent a screenshot of their chat with the second defendant through WhatsApp and the second defendant now called me that I can send for the cash collection. I also informed Hassan Dankali who sent Muktar Miko to collect the cash.
“On 13th of March 2025, Muttar Miko received a total payment of $2 million from the second defendant. He also received a total cash of $2 million for swap on the 14th March, 2025 from the second defendant. On the 20th March, I also received a call from Aisha Achimugu which I confirmed from the first defendant for $2 million for a cash swap which I received from the second defendant and I contacted Hassan of Ashrob who sent Sani Fadri for the cash payment. On the 24th of March, Sani Fadil also received a cash payment of $2 million from the second defendant for payment of inflow into Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas. After receiving all the cash payment, a swap was made and a payment of inflow was transferred into Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas in Zenith Bank in tranches.”
The witness also stated that apart from the transaction that involved the purchase of the oil block, Aisha Achimugu also did some transactions of exchange of Naira to Dollars, which he usually confirms from the first defendant in which Naira was credited to those accounts and dollar equivalent was transferred to Ocean Gate Energy.
The WhatsApp printout from the witness’s phone containing his communication with the first defendant and the certificate of identification were tendered in evidence.
The matter was adjourned till Friday, July 18, 2025 for continuation of trial.
