N11bn Contract Scam: EFCC Presents More Witness Against Ex-Gov, Abubakar Audu

A witness in the ongoing trial of former governor of Kogi state, Prince Abubakar Audu, Irile Fidelis on Thursday, January 29, told a Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja, that he knew nothing about a building called Nitel Quarters that was purportedlyconstructed for the Kogi State government by his company during the tenure of Abubakar Audu as governor of the state.

Fidelis who was the human resource manager of Bulkon Nigeria Limited, while being led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, said “I didn’t play any role in the construction of the building called NITEL quarters that people rumoured to be Audu’s property”.

When shown exhibits P144 - P154 containing agreement between the Kogi state government and Bukon Nigeria Limited, the witness identified the documents as belonging to his company and duly signed by the accountant.

 

“I only knew about these documents in 2006 when EFCC came for investigation in my company”, he said. 

The documents are alleged to be agreement between Bukon Nigeria Limited and Kogi state government to build houses for the suspect, one of which is the NITEL quarters.

 

The first prosecution witness, PW1, Lewechi Terry Ozoemenam, managing director of Leoflench Nigeria Limited, had on January 28 told the court that, Ex-governor Audu conspired with the Director of Directorate of Rural Development, Alfa Ibn Mustapher to forge his company’s receipt in a bid to inflate contracts.

Prince Audu is being prosecuted, alongside Alfa Ibn Mustapha, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N10,965,837,040 (ten billion, nine hundred and sixty five million, eight hundred and thirty seven thousand and Forty Naira). 

 

Justice Ademola Adeniyi has adjourned further hearing in the matter to March 4, 5 and 6, 2015.