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“Mambilla Project: Obasanjo Directed Agunloye To Add ₦11B To Budget — EFCC Witness”.
A prosecution witness on Wednesday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that former President Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly instructed former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, to add ₦11 billion to the ₦6 billion already allocated in the 2003 budget for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The disclosure was made by Umar Babangida, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and EFCC investigator, during his continued cross-examination by the defendant’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe (SAN).
Agunloye is standing trial before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at the Apo division of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on an amended seven-count charge including disobedience to presidential directive, conspiracy, forgery, and receipt of gratification.
The former minister, being prosecuted by the EFCC on behalf of the Federal Government, is accused of conspiring with Leno Adesayan of Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited to forge a letter titled “Construction of 3,960MW Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis.” Agunloye has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Testifying as the third prosecution witness, Babangida said investigations revealed that Obasanjo was eager to fast-track the Mambilla project, which had been stalled for more than two decades. He noted that feasibility studies for the project dated back to 1981, and it took 23 years before the project was finally awarded in 2003 after screening seven interested companies.
According to Babangida, a private meeting was held between Obasanjo and Agunloye on the night of May 20, 2003, ahead of a Federal Executive Council meeting the following day.
“Yes, my Lord. The former president mentioned it at the Federal Executive Council meeting. However, the details of the previous day’s discussion were not fully disclosed by the former president,” the witness said.
He added that EFCC investigations indicated Obasanjo directed Agunloye to add ₦11 billion to the ₦6 billion already appropriated in the 2003 budget to kick-start the Mambilla project.
Babangida also told the court that the Federal Government could have contributed $1.5 billion as its 25 percent equity stake in the $6 billion project, which was to be executed on a build, operate, and transfer basis.
He explained that after the Federal Executive Council approved Agunloye’s memorandum on May 22, 2003, proposing 25 percent government equity, the then Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and another minister suggested reviewing the level of government participation.
However, the witness clarified that the directive to withdraw the memorandum was not solely based on that suggestion.
“Several observations were raised by the former president, the former vice president, and other Executive Council members, which led to the Council directing the former minister to withdraw the memorandum,” Babangida said. He added that the withdrawal was intended to allow further engagement with investors and explore options to reduce the Federal Government’s equity stake from the proposed 25 percent.
Reading from the letter of award issued to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited on May 22, 2003, the witness said Agunloye indicated that the eventual government equity would range from zero to not more than 10 percent, effectively reducing the stake from 25 percent.
Babangida, however, noted that despite the letter, the final outcome did not reflect the reduction, though he did not elaborate further.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter until February 2 for the continuation of the cross-examination of the prosecution witness.
The 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) began nationwide on Thursday, with over 2.2 million candidates expected to participate across accredited centres.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The exam, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), will run from April 16 to April 22 in multiple daily sessions.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, urged examination officials to remain highly committed and professional, noting that the success of the exercise depends largely on their dedication.
He gave the charge during a virtual final briefing for technical officers ahead of the examination, where he also praised staff, ad hoc personnel, service providers, and technical advisers for their roles in the successful conduct of the mock exam.
Oloyede said many of the issues recorded during the mock exercise were due to poor assessment of centres by some technical officials.
He further stated that incentive packages would be awarded to teams that perform exceptionally, particularly in handling exam materials and submitting timely reports.
Reiterating JAMB’s zero-tolerance stance on malpractice, he warned candidates against bringing prohibited items into examination halls.
He also disclosed that biometric verification and real-time monitoring systems have been deployed to protect the integrity of the exercise.
Candidates whose biometrics cannot be verified, he added, will be rescheduled to write the exam at approved centres.
Meanwhile, a NAN correspondent monitoring proceedings at Aduvie International School, Jahi, reported that the first session scheduled for 8:30 a.m. began slightly behind schedule at about 8:40 a.m.
The Commissioner of Police for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, on Thursday inspected security deployments at Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres across Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
According to the FCT Police Command spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, the inspection is part of proactive measures to ensure a smooth, peaceful, and hitch-free conduct of the ongoing examinations.
The UTME is scheduled to run nationwide from April 16 to 18, 2026.
During the exercise, CP Sanusi assessed security arrangements put in place to safeguard candidates, examination officials, and CBT facilities.
He also engaged with centre supervisors, assuring them of adequate security presence throughout the examination period.
Adeh added that the CP reaffirmed the command’s commitment to maintaining law and order, warning that any attempt to disrupt the examinations would be met with decisive action in line with the law.
Over 700 former terrorists who have undergone deradicalisation and rehabilitation are set to be reintegrated into their communities.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The Nigerian military has also dismissed reports alleging that beneficiaries of Operation Safe Corridor are being recruited into military institutions.
According to African Independent Television, the Coordinator of Operation Safe Corridor, Brigadier-General Yusuf Ali, made this known during a media tour of the Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration Centre in Gombe, North-East Nigeria.
He said many Nigerians still misunderstand the Federal Government’s structured counter-terrorism initiative, which is designed to restore peace in communities affected by insurgency.
Brigadier-General Ali explained that the programme focuses on rehabilitation and peaceful reintegration of repentant individuals into society.
During the tour, some of the participants also shared accounts of their involvement in offences that led to their admission into the programme.
The facility inspection was part of preparations for the graduation of over 700 clients who have completed the deradicalisation and rehabilitation process and are set for reintegration.
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