Alleged $6bn Mambilla fraud: Witness confirms EFCC exhibits in Agunloye trial

The trial of former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, over the alleged fraudulent award of the $6 billion Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project contract continued on Thursday, with a prosecution witness telling the court that two documentary exhibits tendered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, contain identical records of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting where the project was discussed.

The development was disclosed in a statement published on the EFCC’s official page on July 2, 2026. The statement did not indicate the name of any official as signatory.

According to the anti-graft agency, the Fifth Prosecution Witness, Iliya John Iyakwari, made the clarification before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Apo, Abuja, during the continuation of Agunloye’s trial.

Agunloye is being prosecuted by the EFCC on an amended seven-count charge bordering on alleged official corruption and the fraudulent award of the 3960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project contract to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited, valued at $6 billion.

The EFCC said the witness, a former Assistant Director (Legal) in the Federal Ministry of Justice who currently serves as an Assistant Legal Adviser in the Federal Ministry of Power, was re-examined following issues raised during his cross-examination on June 18, 2026.

According to the commission, defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, had earlier shown the witness two exhibits, marked EFCC 3D and EFCC 3K, and asked him to compare portions of the documents, to which he responded that Exhibit EFCC 3D was not known to him.

However, during re-examination, prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed, SAN, asked the witness to carefully review both exhibits and compare the extracts of the minutes of the Federal Executive Council meeting of May 21, 2003, relating to the Mambilla project.

The witness subsequently told the court that both exhibits contained the same deliberations, resolutions, conclusions and directives.

The witness told the court that the contents of Exhibit EFCC 3D and Exhibit EFCC 3K were “the same” and “verbatim” regarding the deliberations, resolutions and directives reached at the Federal Executive Council meeting on the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project, according to the EFCC.

Following the proceedings, Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter until July 6, 2026, for the continuation of trial.