$6bn Mambilla Fraud: EFCC tenders 2003 FEC documents in Agunloye trial

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday intensified its prosecution in the alleged $6 billion Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project scandal involving Olu Agunloye, former minister of power, as it tendered documents from a 2003 Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.

Agunloye is facing an amended seven-count charge bordering on official corruption and the alleged unlawful award of the multi-billion-dollar Mambilla Power Project contract to Sunrise Power Transmission Company Limited. He has denied the allegations.

At the resumed hearing before Jude Onwuegbuzie of the FCT High Court, Apo, the prosecution called Iliya John Iyakwari, an Assistant Director of Legal in the Federal Ministry of Justice who is currently serving as Assistant Legal Adviser in the Federal Ministry of Power.

Led in evidence by Abba Mohammed,
EFCC counsel, the witness told the court that he certified an extract of the minutes of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on May 21, 2003, following a formal request from the anti-graft agency.

Iyakwari explained that in June 2023, the EFCC wrote to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Power requesting the certified extract of the FEC meeting.

According to him, the request was subsequently forwarded to the ministry’s Legal Services Department for processing.

He stated that the legal department contacted the unit responsible for maintaining such records and obtained the requested extract.

Following directives from the ministry’s legal adviser, he certified the document and transmitted it to the EFCC using the ministry’s official letterhead.

“The Permanent Secretary forwarded the letter to the Legal Services Department requesting the information contained in the letter.

“The legal department wrote to the department that handles such records to provide the extract, and they forwarded the copy of the said extract. My legal adviser then directed me to certify the copy, and I subsequently sent the certified extract to the EFCC using our official letterhead,” the witness told the court.

During the proceedings, the witness identified and confirmed the authenticity of the EFCC’s request letter and the ministry’s response.

The documents were admitted and marked as Exhibits EFCC 3J and EFCC 3K, respectively.

The prosecution is seeking to establish the circumstances surrounding the award of the Mambilla Power Project contract, one of Nigeria’s most ambitious hydroelectric power initiatives, which has been the subject of prolonged legal and contractual disputes.

Following the witness’s testimony, Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter until June 8, 2026, for the cross-examination of the witness by the defence.

The EFCC has maintained that Agunloye’s actions in relation to the contract award violated due process, while the former minister has continued to contest the allegations.