Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Abuja, Nigeria — Fresh revelations have emerged in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, as a key prosecution witness disclosed that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is willing to testify in the controversial $6 billion Mambilla Power Project fraud case.
Agunloye is standing trial before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja, on seven amended charges bordering on corruption and the alleged fraudulent award of the multi-billion-dollar contract.
Testifying as the third prosecution witness (PW3), Umar Hussein Babangida told the court that Obasanjo, in a letter dated November 27, 2023, informed the Attorney General of the Federation of his readiness to appear before any court or arbitration panel if required to clarify issues surrounding the project.
According to PW3, the letter was tendered during cross-examination by defence counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN.
The witness also referenced another letter dated April 7, 2003, written by Agunloye to then-President Obasanjo, in which the former minister recommended Sunrise Power and Transmission Company for the construction of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station.
He told the court that Obasanjo raised no objections at the time but instructed that the memo be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for comparison with a proposed coal-fired thermal project.
When asked if Obasanjo had any personal issues with Agunloye, the witness said he could not recall any such claim by the former president.
PW3 further stated that during interrogation, Obasanjo maintained that although he was aware of discussions about the project, no contract approval was ever granted by his administration. He reportedly stressed that the FEC documents clearly showed no award was issued to Sunrise Power and that he was not aware of any purported contract dated May 27, 2003.
With Obasanjo expressing readiness to testify, the high-profile case appears set for a decisive legal showdown, as the court continues to probe how a multi-billion-dollar power project awarded under questionable circumstances has remained stalled for decades.
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