May 09, (THEWILL) – An investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, said Aliyu Abubakar, the 2nd defendant in the trial of former Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Adoke, voluntarily made statements to the anti-graft Agency.
Abubakar, a businessman, had alleged that in the course of his investigation by the EFCC, he made statements under duress and was also induced to implicate others.
But Ahmed, the 1st prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial-within, told Justice Inyang Ekwo on Monday, that the allegation was untrue.
However, while being led in evidence by counsel to the EFCC, Ofem Uket, the witness, who is a CSP seconded to the anti-graft agency, also denied the allegation that Abubakar was induced to make the statements.
“There was no inducement, my lord. The 2nd defendant (Abubakar) was not forced to make any statement and he was not detained. He did it voluntarily and was not threatened”, he told the court.
During a cross examination by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), the lawyer to Abubakar, the witness said, though he could not tell how long the interview with the 2nd defendant lasted, the timing was in the record made.
Ahmed said Abubakar made two statements out of the six the commission sought to tender in evidence, in his own handwriting, adding that he also brought lawyers to write some for him after which he (Abubakar) attested to the statements.
The witness also acknowledged that two of the statements were written by one Bashir, a police officer seconded to the EFCC on Abubakar’s behalf and that the defendant undertook that he gave him the consent to do so.
Ahmed said Bashir took the recording during the investigation.
Justice Ekwo adjourned the matter until Tuesday, 10th May, 2022, for the continuation of the trial-within-trial.
