The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) 11th prosecution witness, Mr Sunday Alade, who was a bank manager in one of the new generation banks in Akure in 2014 has told the Federal High Court in Lagos how N1.2 billion was allegedly moved to his bank.
While being led in evidence on Monday by the prosecuting counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), he told the court how he got a call from his head of operations asking him to prepare to go to Akure Airport to receive huge sums of money from a customer.
“On the 17th of June 2014, I was in my office in Akure, when I also received a call from my head of operations, Abiodun Oshodi that a customer would be coming to make deposit into his account with the bank.
“He said in order to provide security, we should arrange for a bullion van to go to the airport to pick the cash. After an hour, my head of operation, Abiodun Oshodi came and said the customer had arrived. He introduced Abiodun Agbele as the customer.
“He said we should prepare to go to the airport. I asked for time to arrange for security, but they said that won’t be necessary as they had sufficient security. They came with MOPOL and some soldiers in a Hilux,” Alade said.
The witness said he joined Oshodi and Agbele to the airport, along with the bullion van and the security men.
“At the airport, we waited for a few minutes before the arrival of the aircraft. Three individuals came out of the aircraft.
“Two of them walked away. The remaining person introduced himself as O. Adewale. The cash was offloaded into the bullion van and we drove to a new generation bank at Akure,” Alade said.
He said when they arrived at the bank, the money was counted in his presence. He said Oshodi, Adewale and Agbele were also present and that it was N724 million. “We were told that there was a balance. We went back to the airport and picked the balance of N494 million the second time.
“The total cash amounted to N1.219 billion. Another aircraft brought the N494 million. I gathered that the cash was lodged into three bank accounts – those of De-Privateer, Spotless Investment and Ayodele Fayose’s account.”
Asked who Adewale was, he said: “Adewale O. introduced himself as Obanikoro’s ADC.”
Asked if he knew those who walked away from the aircraft when it landed, the witness said: “One of them resembled Obanikoro. I never met him in person. But he resembled the person I saw on television and newspapers.”
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Ola Olanipekun (SAN) and Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the witness said he was not aware of where the money came from.
Asked if he knew what the money was meant for, he said: “Not at all.”
The presiding trial judge, Justice mojisola Olatoregun later adjourned till May 10 and 14, 2019 for trial to continue.
