EFCC to court: Jonathan’s aide didn’t declare 15m shares in secret firm

A witness on Wednesday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that Waripamo-Owei Dudafa, a former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, did not declare 15 million shares he possessed in a secret company.
A Senior Detective Superintendent with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Chukwuma Orji, gave the evidence at the resumed trial of Dudafa over N5.1 billion fraud.
EFCC had arraigned Dudafa alongside one Joseph Iwejuo on 23-counts of conspiracy and concealment of crime proceeds.
Led in conclusion of his evidence-in-chief by the prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, the witness told the court that following intelligence report, the commission uncovered a company known as Ibejige Services Ltd.
He said that further investigations revealed that the mandate of the company had the signature of Dudafa and also bears his international passport.
According to the witness, intelligence also showed that in July 2015, Dudafa signed as Chairman of the company, and that his wife was also a signatory to the company.
Orji told the court that investigations revealed that Dudafa possessed 15 million shares in the said company, and had failed to declare it in his asset declaration.
After his evidence, Oyedepo informed the court that he had closed his examination-in-chief with the witness.
Meanwhile, under cross examination, defence counsel, Mr Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), asked the witness for his employment details.
Orji, in response said: “I joined the commission between 2007 and 2008, and I am currently a Senior Detective Superintendent.”
On his educational qualification, he told the court that he possessed a degree and a masters degree in Engineering.
When asked whether the accused was under any investigation before a report was made on him, the witness told the court that the commission receives intelligence before it springs into investigation.
In response to another question of whether he was aware of an invitation by the EFCC to the accused, he said : “My lord, there is a process called “need to know “ and I am not a part of that team”.
Asked whether the accused was declared wanted, the witness told the court that exhibit F2, (an EFCC letter written to the Department of Security Services on diversion of public funds) was sufficient to mark him wanted.
Justice Mohammed Idris has fixed December 14 for continuation of cross examination.
Dudafa was arraigned alongside Iwejuo, also going by the names Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah.
Some of the companies allegedly used by the duo in committing the offences include Seagate Property Development & Investment Ltd; Avalon Global Property Development Company Ltd; Pluto Property and Investment Company Ltd; and Rotate Interlink Services Ltd.
Others are Ibejige Services Ltd., DE Jakes Fast Food & Restaurant Nigeria Ltd. and Ebiwise Resources.