Says,he has never Met Him in Person
On Tuesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja heard the details of how Saleh Mamman, a former Minister of Power under ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, allegedly purchased a property in Abuja for N200 million, paying in cash, in U.S. dollars.
Mamman is facing a 12-count charge of conspiracy and money laundering amounting to approximately N33.8 billion.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented its 12th witness, Mr. Samson Bitrus, a real estate agent who facilitated the purchase of the property located at No. 12 Lungi Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.
Under the guidance of the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Bitrus testified that he was introduced to the defendant by a business associate named Alhaji Mustapha Dan Daura.
He said that in 2019, Mamman had instructed him to find a property and verify that it was free from encumbrances. The two parties eventually agreed on the property, and the transaction was completed with a payment of N200 million in U.S. dollars. The seller, a man named Jidda, confirmed the payment.
Bitrus further explained that after the property was acquired, he began managing it for Mamman, collecting rent from tenants and depositing the proceeds into an account provided by the defendant.
Bitrus received N8 million in rent, which was paid in two installments of N5 million and N3 million. For his agency services, he received a fee of N1.5 million, although it was paid in parts.
He also revealed that Mamman had asked him to manage another property in Kado Estate, which had started deteriorating after being left unoccupied. Without consulting Mamman, Bitrus rented out the property for N2.8 million and N3 million per year, later informing the defendant.
Another property was rented for N5 million annually, and after renovation, it was leased out again for N12.5 million per year.
Defense counsel, Mr. Femi Atteh, SAN, requested an adjournment to cross-examine the witness further.
In an earlier testimony, a Bureau de Change operator, Mr. Maina Goje, said he regularly delivered cash to Mamman’s residence in Abuja. Goje explained that although he never directly handed money to Mamman, he dealt with individuals working at the residence. Goje recalled taking large sums, including up to N50 million in new Naira notes, to Mamman’s residence, where they were counted by the defendant’s “boys.”
Goje also described how Mustapha had once handed him over N1.8 billion to transfer to contacts in Dubai. However, he was unable to identify Mamman directly, as he only interacted with the defendant’s associates.
Under cross-examination, Goje denied allegations of benefiting from the transactions or receiving large amounts from the Ministry of Power. He admitted to dealing with the ministry for about two years but stated that no payments had been made since Mamman’s arrest.
During the proceedings, Justice James Omotosho rejected a request from the prosecution to visit the house where Goje delivered money. The judge criticized the late nature of the request but left the door open for the EFCC to present further evidence regarding the property.
Lastly, a bundle of statements made by Goje to the EFCC was accepted as evidence, marked as exhibit PW-Z.