A retired detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dickson Graymond on Thursday told the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, how Pastor Nsikaabasi Akpan-Jacobs, allegedly used forged documents to defraud Mrs. Titi Abubakar Atiku, wife of former Vice President Abubakar Atiku of N918 million.
He also told the court that the disposal of Mrs Atiku’s company, THA Shipping Maritime Services Limited’s assets worth N1.2 billion was done without the consent of the two main directors – Florence Doregos and Fred Holmes.
Graymond disclosed these while being led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, Babatunde Sonoiki, before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye at resumed proceedings in a suit instituted against Akpan-Jacobs and one Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Dana Motors.
The defendants are standing trial on a 14 -count charge of conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of properties belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Limited.
Graymond narrated how he received a petition on the alleged fraud from Mrs. Atiku and how his investigation led to the discovery of the fraud.
He said: “In 2008, I was a detective working with EFCC in Abuja. We received a petition dated December 12, 2008 from the law chambers of Benedict Benet and Co, the lawyers to the complainants, Florence Doregos and Fred Holmes, a German citizen.
“One Barr. Chima Ezekolu, a lawyer to the complainant came to our office with a power of attorney from the first complainant (Titi).
“He shed light on the complainant’s allegations with some supporting documents and he gave a written statement to that effect.
“The petitioners alleged amongst other things that the defendants forged the board resolutions, memorandum and articles of association as well as the extraordinary board resolution of THA Shipping Maritime Services Limited.
“They used the same documents to obtain a loan from First Bank Plc and disposed of the bonded terminal and other properties of the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Plc.
“The supporting documents were the company registration documents from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), some pictures and the share allotment document of the three directors. The original share allotment was that Florence Doregos at 49 percent had 4.9 million ordinary shares; Fred Holmes at 26 percent had 2.6 million ordinary shares while the first defendant (Akpan-Jacobs) was allotted 25 percent representing 2.5 million ordinary shares.
“We invited the first defendant to our office and we confronted him with the documents he forged. We had discovered that the initial share allotment of THA Shipping which was 10 million ordinary shares was changed from 49 percent for Florence Doregos to 51 percent for Akpan-Jacobs.
“Florence Doregos and Fred Holmes were each allotted 24.5 percent shares, Akpan-Jacobs had the highest allocation of shares in the fraudulent alteration.”
The detective said police analysis of the signatures proved that the signatures of Mrs. Atiku and Holmes were forged in the documents.
“The analysis was conducted by the Force Criminal and Investigation Department (FCID) on the instruction of the law firm of Benedict Benet and Co, the complainant’s petitioners. Inspector Ralph Nwosurike who conducted the analysis confirmed that the results of the report were authentic,” Graymond added.
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