by Dolapo Adelana
Mr. Omale Ujah, a witness at the trial of a Federal High Court judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia on Friday narrated how he was instructed sometime in 2014 to pay N12m into the account of a company, Nigel and Colive limited, belonging to the judge.
Ujah, an Assistant Controller of Customs and the fifth prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said this at a Lagos High Court while testifying against Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving Federal High Court judge, who is being tried for alleged bribery and unlawful enrichment.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo told the court that the N12m payment was at the instruction of one Musa Tahir, who was the Deputy Controller-General of Customs.
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“In the course of my duty in 2014, the Deputy Controller-General that I was working with, Musa Tahir, came down from the office of the Controller-General of Customs and gave me the account number of Nigel and Colive limited, saying that the CGC said we should liase with 12 commands and they should pay N1m each to my account and I should transfer the whole sum to Nigel and Colive Limited.
“And that instruction was carried out,” Ujah said.
Ujah said he was not aware of any services rendered by Nigel and Colive Limited to the Nigeria Customs Service and that he paid the money in three tranches of N4m, N3m and N5m.
While being cross-examined by Ofili-Ajumogobia’s counsel, Chief Robert Clark (SAN), Ujah said in the service, officers were meant to obey the last order and were not trained to ask questions, so he could not ask what the money was meant for.
Dolapo is a writer and journalist who works with YNaija. He has interests in Christianity, politics and sports.
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