Court dismisses witness’ evidence against ex-AMCON boss, others, adjourns till May 19

The Special Offences Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday, dismissed evidence produced in court by one of the two witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing fraud trial levelled against the a former managing director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru. The EFCC had accused the […]

The Special Offences Court sitting in Lagos, on Wednesday, dismissed evidence produced in court by one of the two witnesses of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing fraud trial levelled against the a former managing director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Ahmed Kuru.

The EFCC had accused the defendants of defrauding Arik Air of N76 billion and $31.5 million.

The prosecuting witness, Mr Austen Obigwe, had attempted to present an exhibit in the court, but during cross examination, the lawyers to the defendants pointed out that the document was unsigned, lacked authors, was undated and without an original copy.

 Other defendants in the fraud trial instituted by EFCC are Mr Kamilu Omokide, a former receiver manager of Arik Air Ltd, Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, Arik Air’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Union Bank Ltd and Super Bravo Ltd.

Obigwe, a former staff of Union Bank, in his presentation at the court, said the bank stood as a guarantor to Arik Air to procure five aircraft – three Boeing 737-800 and two Airbus 340-500 aircraft.

Obigwe, who stated that he joined Union Bank in February 2006 and left in August 2009, said the aircraft were financed by the Export Credit agencies.

He further stated that the three B737-800s were used for local operations, while the wide-bodied aircraft were deployed to New York in the United States and London in the United Kingdom.

He described the aircraft as a huge success to the operations of the airline.

Barr. Olalekan Ojo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), counsel to the defendants, established that the documents presented in the court by the Obigwe were not signed and were undated.

Ojo queried the genuineness of the documents and asked him to establish where they were sourced from.

He also established that the prosecuting witness had left Union Bank in 2009 and so was not qualified to present the documents, having left the bank before AMCON took over the management of the airline in March 2017.

But, the prosecuting lawyer, Dr Wahab Shittu (SAN), stated that the document was relevant to the case at hand irrespective of its status.

“Even, if the document was stolen, inasmuch as it is relevant to the case, my lord, it is admissible in the law court,” he said.

But the presiding judge, Justice Mojiisola Dada, threw out the evidence for lack of proper identification.

Dada therefore adjourned the case to Monday, May 19, 2025 and 28 for the continuation of hearing.