A prosecution witness has told the Federal High Court in Abuja how he allegedly invested more than ₦500 million in a purported agricultural export business operated by the Chief Executive Officer of Onome Global Market Resources Limited, Osabohein Alex Ologbose, his wife, Hope Onome Oghelemu, and persons associated with the companies, but neither recovered his capital nor received any return on the investment.
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The witness, Ikechukwu Chikelum, testified on Thursday, September 24, 2026, before Justice Ekerete Akpan as the third prosecution witness in the trial being conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Ologbose, Oghelemu and their companies, Onome Global Market Resources Limited and Lexicon Multi-concept Media Limited, are facing a seven-count charge bordering on alleged obtaining by false pretence, conversion of funds and money laundering involving about ₦740 million.
The EFCC said the alleged offences contravened Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and are punishable under Section 18(4) of the same Act.
The allegations remain unproven, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty by the court.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, O.S. Ujam, Chikelum, a businessman, said his involvement began in June 2023 when his friend, Modestus Uche Okafor, introduced him to an investment which he was told involved the export of bitter kola to China and Hong Kong.
According to him, Okafor subsequently introduced him to Alice Ayeni, whom he described as a director of Onome Global Market Resources Limited.
The witness said he met Ayeni at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank, NEXIM Bank, where she allegedly explained the investment and showed him the company’s profile.
He told the court that the documents shown to him included the company’s Corporate Affairs Commission certificate, a Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering certificate associated with the EFCC, and an export promotion certificate.
Chikelum said the documents, together with the company profile showing persons associated with the business, convinced him that the investment was genuine.
“Modestus and I met Madam Alice Ayeni at NEXIM Bank. She explained the investment to me and gave me a profile of the company, Onome Global Market Resources Limited, which they use in exporting ‘bitter kola’ to China and Hong Kong,” he testified.
According to the witness, his first investment was for 100 bags of bitter kola at ₦310,000 per bag, amounting to ₦31 million.
He said he transferred the money from his Ecobank account to an account belonging to Ayobola Anike Ventures, which he alleged was provided by Ayeni.
Chikelum told the court that after the initial investment, he was encouraged to put more money into the business.
He said he subsequently transferred another ₦62 million for 200 bags of bitter kola intended for export to China.
The witness further testified that he later transferred ₦267.22 million for 862 bags of bitter kola, also purportedly meant for export to China.
According to him, about two weeks later, he transferred another ₦220.15 million for 710 bags of bitter kola said to be intended for export to Hong Kong.
He said he subsequently transferred ₦20.4 million for 60 bags of red kolanuts allegedly intended for export to Indonesia.
Based on the individual transactions narrated in his evidence, the payments he described amounted to approximately ₦600.77 million.
Chikelum said all the payment receipts were forwarded to Ayeni through WhatsApp and were acknowledged.
“I told my friend that I had more money to reinvest. He called Ayeni to inquire if I could further reinvest. Ayeni said that she had called Onome and that she said I could proceed to invest further,” he told the court.
He continued: “Madam Ayeni said she needed more investors. Subsequently, I transferred the sum of ₦267,220,000 to her for 862 bags of bitter kola to China.”
He said another ₦220.15 million followed for the Hong Kong transaction before the ₦20.4 million investment in red kolanuts.
The witness said difficulties began when the expected returns failed to arrive.
According to him, after waiting for about eight weeks without receiving any return on his investments, he and Okafor went to Ayeni’s office to demand an explanation.
He said Ayeni subsequently took them to meet Onome, where they were allegedly assured that the investment returns would be paid within two weeks.
Chikelum told the court that when the promised payment did not materialise, a WhatsApp group was created for investors through which communications concerning the investment continued.
He further testified that a meeting was later held at the Living Faith Church in Lokogoma, Abuja.
According to him, those present included Onome, her husband, Alex, Ayeni, himself, other investors and three pastors of the church.
The witness said they were told during the meeting that the delay was linked to shipment issues involving the bitter kola.
He said Onome allegedly informed them that the shipment had eventually arrived in Hong Kong and appealed to the investors to wait for another two weeks for payment of their returns.
Chikelum said another month passed without payment.
He said he and some other investors, including Okafor, then approached a lawyer and supplied evidence of the transfers they had made.
“A few investors, including Modestus and I, came together to meet a lawyer. We gave the senior lawyer evidence of all the transfers made by us. The lawyer sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC,” he testified.
According to him, the EFCC subsequently invited the petitioners to adopt their complaint.
“Till date, I have not received my capital or return from the investment from the defendants,” Chikelum told the court.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, Femi Peter Joseph, the witness maintained that the total amount he invested through Ayobola Anike Ventures and Alice Alade Ayeni exceeded ₦500 million.
The testimony forms part of the EFCC’s effort to prove its seven-count case involving the alleged ₦740 million investment scheme.
The prosecution’s case is that the defendants allegedly obtained and converted funds presented to investors as money intended for agricultural export transactions.
The defence has not yet concluded its cross-examination of Chikelum, and the allegations made by the witness remain subject to testing during the trial.
Justice Akpan adjourned the matter until November 3, 2026, for continuation of the cross-examination of the witness.
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