A prosecution witness in the ongoing fraud trial of former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, on Thursday told the Federal High Court in Lagos that he personally delivered $15 million in cash to the former agency boss.
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The witness, Captain Ezekiel Bala-Agaba, a former Executive Director of Maritime Safety, Shipping Development and Marine Operations at NIMASA, made the disclosure while testifying before Justice Ayokunle Faji.
Agaba, who appeared as the 15th prosecution witness, told the court that funds allegedly earmarked for pipeline surveillance were withdrawn from NIMASA accounts, converted into dollars through a bureau de change, and later handed over to Akpobolokemi.
According to him, the cash equivalent of the funds, amounting to $15 million, was brought to NIMASA’s office on Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos, before he personally delivered it to the then Director-General.
“The money was sent to a bureau de change, which later brought the dollar equivalent to our office at Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos.
“I asked my personal assistant, Ekene Nwakuche, to carry the bag and follow me to the Director-General’s office,” Agaba told the court.
He further testified that he collected the bag from his aide at the entrance to Akpobolokemi’s office and instructed him to remain outside.
“When we got to the door of the Director-General’s office, I collected the bag from him and asked him to wait outside. I then personally delivered the sum of $15 million to the Director-General,” he said.
Agaba, who previously served as Director of Maritime Security and Safety at NIMASA, was initially listed as one of the defendants in the case but later became a witness for the prosecution.
While being led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Suleiman Suleiman, Agaba also explained the command structure within NIMASA and how approvals for expenditure were handled during his time at the agency.
He told the court that the Director-General was the chief executive and overall head of the agency, responsible for issuing directives to directors, who in turn implemented decisions in line with the provisions of the NIMASA Act.
Agaba said he also chaired the agency’s Intelligence Committee, which handled certain maritime security-related operations.
“As chairman of the committee, I oversaw its activities and reported directly to the Director-General, Dr Patrick Akpobolokemi,” he said.
During proceedings, the witness was shown a document said to be a letter from Access Bank to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detailing transactions in NIMASA accounts between 2013 and 2015.
When asked by the prosecution how much he personally took to Akpobolokemi, Agaba responded: “$15 million.”
Mr Collins Ogbonna appeared for Akpobolokemi, the first defendant, while Tokunbo Ajibulu represented the second defendant, Captain Warredi Enisuoh.
Following the witness’s testimony, Justice Faji adjourned the matter until April 22 and 23 for continuation of the trial.
The EFCC had, in December 2015, arraigned Akpobolokemi and seven others before the court on a 30-count charge bordering on conspiracy, fraudulent conversion of funds, and money laundering.
Those charged alongside the former NIMASA Director-General include Ezekiel Agaba, Warredi Enisuoh, Governor Juan, Ugo Frederick, Timi Alari, as well as Alkenzo Limited and Penniel Engineering Services Limited.
The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants conspired to divert more than N1.15 billion under the guise of providing security intelligence in Nigeria’s maritime domain.
According to the EFCC, NIMASA’s Intelligence Committee allegedly received N1,153,000,000 between December 2013 and July 2015.
The commission further alleged that several companies engaged to execute the intelligence-related contracts were either unregistered, lacked the capacity to carry out the services, or were allegedly linked to some of the defendants.
The prosecution also accused the defendants of nominating or owning some of the companies used in executing the contracts.
One of the counts, according to the EFCC, alleged that Akpobolokemi and the other defendants conspired to commit offences punishable under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012.
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