An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness told an Abuja High Court that former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, allegedly disobeyed a presidential directive related to the 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station project.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Naija-Virtual-Notary2.png")
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
The EFCC claims that Agunloye, who served as Minister between 1999 and 2003 under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, illegally awarded a contract for the project on a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) basis. According to the commission, Agunloye issued a letter to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited conveying the Federal Governmentâs approval for the contract, despite a presidential directive following a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on May 21, 2003.
Testifying in court, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Umar Babangida, while being cross-examined by Agunloyeâs lawyer, Adeola Adedipe SAN, stated: âThe defendant disobeyed the directive of Obasanjo and the resolution of the Federal Executive Council meeting of May 21, 2003.â
Babangida explained that the alleged directive was contained in the minutes of the FEC meeting chaired by President Obasanjo. However, when asked to pinpoint the exact section of the minutes showing the directive, the witness admitted that no specific directive was documented.
During cross-examination, Agunloyeâs lawyer sought to have the witness read portions of the defendantâs extrajudicial statement previously tendered by the EFCC. The prosecution, led by Abba Mohammed SAN, objected, arguing that the witness could not be cross-examined on a statement that was not his. The court overruled the objection, allowing Babangida to read the statement in which Agunloye asserted that he had never met Leno Adesanya, the alter ego of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited, before the contract award, which he claimed occurred only in 2014.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie reserved ruling on a motion filed by Agunloye seeking leave to release his international passport. The court adjourned the proceedings until November 3 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the EFCC witness.(NAN)
A timely new publication, Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria, co-authored by Olumide Babalola and Uchenna Nnawuchi, đ Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria is now available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8TmFZrd
______________________________________________________________________
Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes âArtificial Intelligence For Lawyersâ With Free Research eBook
Authored by Ben Ijeoma Adigwe Esq., ACiarb (UK), LL.M, Dip. in Artificial Intelligence, Director at the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Asaba, Nigeria.
How to Order:
đ Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
đ§ Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
đ Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
______________________________________________________________________
Alexander Payne Co. Law Reports
Contact & Orders đ 0704 444 4777 | 0704 444 4999 | 0818 199 9888 đ www.alexandernigeria.com
______________________________________________________________________
The books are available for purchase at:
Online: www.educodex.com | www.selar.com | www.amazon.com | www.mikeozekhome.com
Enquiries: +234 704 044 9375 | +234 814 813 4773 | +234 816 872 3532
Email: educodexl@gmail.com
______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
The publishing firm has produced an impressive catalogue of authoritative legal texts authored by its proprietor, Basil Momodu, Esq.,
For inquiries, contact:
đ§ momodulawpublishing@yahoo.com
đ 07051822705
______________________________________________________________________
âYour Must-Have Legal Classicâ â 225-Page Hardback Offering The Definitive Guide To Electoral Security In Nigeria And The U.S.
Edited by Dr. Akin Olawale Oluwadayisi, Ph.D; ACIArb, FIPDM, Notary Public, Awi Boluwaji, and Olumide Awoyemi, LL.M, Price: âŠ20,000 or $20 per copy
Order Your Copy Now:đ§ Email: benakollegalclassics@gmail.com,đ± WhatsApp: 07038211889, đ Voice Call: 07065830466 | +2347038211889
______________________________________________________________________
