Alleged N57m fraud: ICPC witness testifies against Maimuna Aliyu

Mrs Bilikisu Rimi, a star witness of ICPC in the ongoing trial of Maimuna Aliyu, former executive director of Aso Savings and Loan Plc, over alleged N57 million fraud on Friday testified against the suspect. Aliyu, being prosecuted by ICPC for alleged N57 million on land deal since 2017, claimed to have paid the amount to Aso Savings and Loan Plc for three plots of land at Jahi District, Abuja but Rimi denied it. Rimi then insisted that all she did was to release documents for the land but never received any money for the said land. The witness told Justice Mairo Nasir of FCT High Court that she released the documents to Aliyu based on instruction by the former Managing Director of Aso Savings, Mr Hassan Musa. Rimi, while being cross examined by the defence lawyer, Mr Joe-Kyari Gadzama (SAN) said herself and the defendant were both staff of the financial institution in 2012. The witness, a secretary at the institution, said “the managing director asked me to bring the land document and after a few days, I went back to the MD to find out if payment had been made and was told that the defendant had made payment. “I later discovered that payment was not made and I went back to the MD to report my findings.” Rimi explained that there was a designated account for such transactions, stressing, however, that payment for the land in question was not made. She noted, however, that “I released the original land titled deed to the defendant because Maimuna Aliyu was my superior and based on instruction from former MD of the company.” Mr Akponimisingha Ekoi, Counsel to the ICPC, while leading the witness in evidence, said that contrary to claim of the defendant to the police, Rimi did not collect money from the defendant. Meanwhile, Justice Nasir had adjourned the matter until July 11 for continuation of hearing. (NAN) AG/JTJ/HA]]>