Tunde Bakare
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, June 1, 2026, presented the Fifth Prosecution Witness, PW5, in the trial of the former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Apo, Abuja.
The former minister is facing prosecution on an amended seven-count charge, bordering on official corruption and fraudulent award of Mambilla Power Project contract to the tune of $6billion (Six Billion United States Dollars) to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited.
The witness, Iliya John Iyakwari, an Assistant Director of Legal in the Federal Ministry of Justice, currently serving in the Federal Ministry of Power as an Assistant Legal Adviser since August 2014, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, SAN disclosed that he certified the extract of the minutes of Federal Executive Council meeting of May 21, 2003 following a request from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
He narrated that sometime in June 2023, the EFCC sent a letter of request to the Ministry of Power, addressed to the Permanent Secretary, requesting the extract of the FEC meeting, held 21 May 2003.
“The Permanent Secretary forwarded the letter to the Legal Service department, requesting the information on the letter. The legal department wrote to the department that handles such to give us the extract and they forwarded the copy of the said extract where my legal adviser asked me to certify the copy and I forwarded the certified copy of the extract using our official letterhead to the EFCC,” he said.
He was shown the letter, containing the EFCC request, marked exhibit EFCC 3J and a letter of reply marked exhibit EFCC 3K which he identified and confirmed to be true copies.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter till June 8, 2026 for the cross examination of the witness.