The ongoing trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, took a dramatic turn on Monday, as the third prosecution witness told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the Mambilla power project contract document was forged.
Agunloye is standing trial on an amended seven-count charge bordering on official corruption and the fraudulent award of the $6 billion Mambilla Power Project contract to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL).
Testifying before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, prosecution witness three, Umar Hussein Babangida, said the investigative team discovered that Agunloye allegedly issued a fake contract award letter dated 22 May 2003 while serving as minister.
“I wrote the investigation report tendered before the court. During our findings, we established that Agunloye awarded the Mambilla contract to SPTCL on 22 May 2003. The contract letter was brought before the court,” he said during cross-examination by defence counsel Adeola Adedipe, SAN.
When questioned on whether the document was compared with an original version, Babangida insisted the document itself was fraudulent. “The award document was a false representation. We compared the contents and found false information and misrepresentation of facts. I did not compare it with another document because it was a certified true copy.”
He added that records of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of 21 May 2003 showed 40 ministers—including Agunloye—were present that day. According to him, the investigative team also held oral interviews with former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Asked whether written reports of those interviews existed, Babangida said none were produced because the discussions were oral, though Obasanjo had written a letter to the current Attorney-General regarding the matter. He also noted that he did not interview former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case to 1 December 2025 for continuation of the witness’s cross-examination.
