An Abuja court admits marked $100,000, phones and a Prado Jeep as exhibits in the EFCC trial of two men accused of an alleged $700,000 fraud
EFCC Trial: Court Admits $100,000, Phones in Alleged $700,000 Fraud
By Newsheadline247
The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, has admitted a marked $100,000, mobile phones, a flash drive and a Toyota Prado Jeep as exhibits in the ongoing trial of two men accused of impersonating an aide to the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and allegedly obtaining $700,000 from a former Nigerian Ports Authority managing director.
Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie admitted the items on Thursday, October 22, 2026, during the trial of Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, who are facing an amended four-count charge bordering on impersonation, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
The EFCC alleged that Joshua, the first defendant, impersonated the personal assistant to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and conspired with Hashim to obtain $700,000 from former NPA Managing Director Muhammad Bello Koko.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly presented themselves as EFCC operatives and told Koko that his tenure at the NPA was under investigation. They allegedly claimed that the EFCC chairman and the commission’s director of operations had requested $1 million to halt the purported investigation, before the parties eventually settled on $700,000.
The second prosecution witness, Tanko Abubakar, an EFCC operative attached to the Land and Property Section of the commission’s Ibadan Zonal Command, continued his testimony on Thursday, identifying items recovered during the investigation and video recordings made by the investigating team.
Abubakar had told the court during his examination-in-chief on Wednesday that he participated in the investigation after intelligence indicated that the defendants were allegedly attempting to defraud Koko.
He explained that the team tracked the suspects before arresting Hashim at Crystal Palace Hotel in Area 11, Abuja, while Joshua was subsequently arrested at his residence.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Elizabeth Alabi, the witness identified a brown bag containing marked currency, $100,000 in marked US dollar notes, three mobile phones and a white flash drive containing video recordings made during the investigation.
He told the court that investigators recorded Hashim during a video call with Joshua to establish that the second defendant had received the purported money.
“My team and I video-recorded the second defendant when he was making the video call with the first defendant, telling the first defendant that he had collected the money,” Abubakar said.
Asked to identify the contents of the brown bag, the witness stated: “The sum of marked $100,000.00 US dollars which was taken from an exhibit.”
Abubakar also identified the white flash drive used to store recordings of the defendants, including videos made while they gave their statements at the EFCC headquarters.
The witness identified a Samsung Galaxy Flip and a Samsung Galaxy Note as phones recovered from Hashim, while an iPhone 11 Pro Max was seized from Joshua, according to his testimony.
He further identified a black 2016 Toyota Prado Jeep with registration number GWA 666 EA, Abuja, which he said was seized from Hashim and kept at the EFCC’s exhibit car dock before being brought to the court premises.
The prosecution subsequently sought to tender the recovered items in evidence. While counsel to the first defendant, O. Nwosu, did not oppose their admissibility, counsel to the second defendant, M. B. Inuwa, raised objections.
After listening to the submissions of counsel, Justice Onwuegbuzie admitted the items as exhibits in the ongoing proceedings.
The court listed the Toyota Prado Jeep, Samsung Galaxy Flip, Samsung Galaxy Note, iPhone 11 Pro Max, marked $100,000, brown bag and white flash drive among the admitted exhibits, identified in the proceedings as PW2A, PW2B, PW2C, PW2D, PW2E and PW2F, respectively.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case until October 26, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
The allegations against Joshua and Hashim remain before the court, and their guilt has yet to be established.
