A Lagos High Court in Igbosere, yesterday heard how the sum of N11, 316,295,549.29 was allegedly diverted from Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) into accounts operated by a staff of Niger Delta University (NDU), John Simon Adomene.
Adomene was named in the testimony of an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Orji Chukwuma, before Justice Raliat Adebiyi.
Chukwuma, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that Adomene laundered the money on behalf of an ex -Director-General of NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi.
He testified as the third prosecution witness in the trial of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Joseph Nwobike.
Nwobike is facing a five-count charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice and offering gratification to a public official, a charge he denied.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, Chukwuma said in 2015, the commission received intelligence on “a monumental fraud perpetrated in NIMASA.”
“In the course of the investigation, it was revealed that one John Simon Adomene, a staff of Niger Delta University was used by the DG of NIMASA, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, to perpetrate this fraud.
“Subsequently, efforts were made to trace accounts linked to John Adomene and companies linked with him,” he said.
He listed the companies to include Wabod, Global Resources Limited, Gokiad Marine Services and Boloberi Properties and Estate Limited.
“We traced billions of naira in accounts and properties to these companies which were merely fronts for Dr. Akpobolokemi,” Chukwuma alleged.
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