The trial of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a former Minister of Special Duties
and Inter-governmental affairs continued today before Justice Inyang
Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja with the twelfth prosecution
witness, PW12, Bello Hamma’Adama narrating to the court how funds
earmarked for sensitization of Muslim youths were redirected to the
account of the first defendant ‘s wife.
Bello, an operative attached to the Chairman’s Monitoring Unit of the
EFCC, while being led in evidence by M. S. Abubakar told the court that
sometime in 2017, the EFCC received intelligence on the activities of
the first defendant, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, a minister of special duties
between 2013 and 2015 during which he also doubled as chairman
Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security
Challenges in the North.
He told the court that the first defendant was profiled, leading to the
discovery of the activities of the other defendants. Consequently,
letters of investigation activities were written to relevant
authorities, while documents received were analyzed.
While giving details of the findings, Bello told the court that N18
billion Naira was paid to the first defendant for constituency project
by the National Assembly, adding that investigation further revealed
that a sum of N359, 104,000 was also paid into the account of the
Ministry of Special duties for the sensitization of Muslims on the
achievements of the then President but the money was disbursed
suspiciously which led the EFCC to follow the trail.
The witness revealed that only N150m in tranches of N50m was paid to one
Tahir Umar Tahir who was Senior Special Assistant to former President
Goodluck Jonathan on Islamic Affairs. He said another N5Om was released
to one Okunrinboye Titus who allegedly handed over the money to Samson
Okeptu, the second defendant. He, in turn, transferred the N50m to Tahir
who then paid N30 million into an organization’s account and expended
the balance of N20 in cash for the programme.
Bello further narrated to the court that, when Tahir was asked why he
had only N150m, he replied that only N150 million was released to him.
Bello further revealed to the court that the balance of N159,104,000
from the account of Ministry of Special duties was transferred to
different individuals with the narration of sensitization, including one
Abdullahi Maigwandu Bagudu who got N45 million, another Abdulrahman
Yusuf got N50 million , Samson Okpetu the second defendant got N20
million and another got N30 million.
The witness further told the Court that Maigwandu, who earns a monthly
salary of N33, 000, had a credit entry of N1.76 billion in his account
and the transactions came in tranches of N10 million or N5 million,
adding that ” we suspected money laundering, so we did cash work
analysis, network analysis and realized that he cannot be the owner of
the account. Every transaction in the account belonged to the first
defendant who happens to be his brother.”
Bello also told the court Maigwandu transferred the sum of N20 million
to the wife of the first defendant Halima Kabiru Turaki, another N20
million to a company and another N5 million was withdrawn in China
through an ATM to purchase furniture.
PW12 further told the Court that the wife of the first defendant, when
she was invited, told the EFCC on record that “she is only a house wife
and has never done any contract or carried out any sensitization
exercise for Special Duties Ministry.
“All the transactions carried out by Maigwandu were at her instructions
and she had so far refunded N75 million”.
The trial has been adjourned till February 9 and 10, 2021for
continuation of hearing.
Turaki, his special assistant Sampson Okpetu and two companies: Samtee
Essentials Limited and Pasco Investment Limited are standing trial on a
16 count change for fraud amounting to N714, 670, 014.87 (Seven Hundred
and Fourteen Million Six Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Fourteen
Naira) .