The Second Prosecution Witness, Akeem Lasisi, has narrated before a Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, how his team arrested two suspects allegedly involved in impersonating officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an attempt to defraud a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko, of $700,000.
The EFCC is prosecuting the defendants, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, impersonation, and obtaining money by false pretence.
Testifying before Justice J.O. Onwuegbuzie yesterday, the witness, who is also an EFCC personnel,, said he was leading Team A of the EFCC Cybercrime Unit in 2024 when they received intelligence that some individuals were impersonating officials of the Commission, with Joshua allegedly posing as the Personal Assistant to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
He told the court that the suspects approached the former NPA boss, claiming his tenure was under investigation and that the EFCC Chairman and Director of Operations had demanded $1 million to halt the probe.
According to him, Bello Koko later confirmed the incident and said the demand was negotiated down to $700,000 before he agreed that his brother would liaise with the suspects for the handover of the money, leading to the deployment of an undercover operative.
The witness further explained that on August 28, 2024, the team initially planned to effect the arrest at AA Rano Filling Station along Airport Road, Abuja, but the suspects later changed the location to Gimbya Street.
He said an undercover operative met the second defendant at the agreed location, where he arrived in a black Toyota Jeep with registration number GWA 666 PA, and was handed a bag containing dummy US dollars before operatives moved in to arrest him.
According to him, the second defendant later led investigators to the residence of the first defendant, where Joshua was also arrested. A search of the premises led to the recovery of two mobile phones, while a Prado SUV was also recovered from the second defendant.
He added that both suspects were taken to the EFCC headquarters, where they made statements under caution in the presence of their lawyers, and their confessional videos were recorded.
At the end of the testimony, the prosecution counsel requested an adjournment to complete administrative processes for the towing of the recovered Prado SUV to court as an exhibit and to play video recordings of the defendants’ statements.
Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the application and adjourned the matter until July 15 and 16, 2026, for continuation of hearing.