Former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, has admitted in open court that she was cautioned by investigators of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before writing statements used in her ongoing corruption trial.
Oyo-Ita made the admission on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, while testifying as the first defence witness in a trial-within-trial before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja. The proceeding was convened to determine the admissibility of statements she earlier disowned, alleging they were obtained under duress.
The former top civil servant is standing trial alongside two aides, Garba Umar and Ugbong Okon Effiok, and six companies over an 18-count charge bordering on misappropriation of public funds, official corruption, money laundering and criminal diversion of more than ₦3 billion.
During cross-examination by prosecution counsel, H. M. Mohammed, Oyo-Ita confirmed that the EFCC read the standard words of caution to her and that she signed the cautionary note before making her statements. One of the statements, dated August 10, 2019, explicitly records that she was informed of her right to remain silent and to have a lawyer present but chose to proceed without counsel.
Despite this, Oyo-Ita insisted that although she wrote the statements willingly, she was forced to sign them. She urged the court to reject three separate statements she made to investigators, maintaining they were not voluntary.
She further told the court that a former Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Professor Tahir Mamman, witnessed her writing another statement on September 15, 2019, after she was granted administrative bail.
The prosecution had earlier played a video recording of Oyo-Ita’s statement-taking process in court. In the footage, she appeared calm and unrestrained while writing, with EFCC investigator Hamma Adama Bello identifying all parties present. Bello testified that Oyo-Ita was duly cautioned and informed of her right to have a lawyer present or to halt the process until counsel arrived.
The video evidence was admitted without objection from the defence.
Justice Omotosho adjourned proceedings until March 4, 2026, for the adoption of final written addresses in the trial-within-trial.
