How ex-Gov Lamido, son, other used forged company name for N3.9b fraud – witness

A businessman, Alhaji Surajo Ahmadu, has told a federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday how former governor Sule Lamido and his son forged his company’s name to open an account with Access bank through which they defrauded the state to the tune of N3.9 billion.

Alhaji Ahmadu is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rawda Integrated Services Limited.

Ahmadu said he was baffled when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives showed him his company documents that used to open the bank account.

He is a key witness in suit filed against the former governor, his son, Mustapha Sule Lamido, Aminu Wada Abubakar, and four companies namely Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamiana Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminum Limited and Speeds International Limited stated this at the resumed trial before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the federal High Court.

Ahmadu, who was led in evidence by Chile Okoroma, also denied that neither himself, nor his son, Abbas Ahmadu attended a purported meeting of the company held on 20th August, 2008 at No 13 Marina Street Apapa, Lagos where the board resolution was adopted.

He also denied knowledge of one Abubaka Sadiq who signed the resolution as Secretary of the Company.

The witnesses further stated that the four names mentioned in the resolution as directors were not his staff. The purported directors, the witness added did not own any share in the company because the company is solely owned by him and his son who he gave 15 percent share.

Ahmadu said that the company once bided for a contract in Jigawa State during the Lamido tenure. He said he secured the contract through the assistance of Aminu after he furnished him with the company profile and CAC company registration certificate and that it was likely they took the documents from his bid.

He maintained that he never authorise Aminu to used the company name in any transaction.

Under cross examination by the defense counsel Joe Agi (SAN) Ahmadu said that he sold his shares with prudent bank worth N5m to Aminu.

The alleged scan were committed in Jigawa between 2007 and 2015, by contracts awards to companies where he has interest, using his two sons, Aminu and Mustapha as front.

One of the counts in the charge reads, “That you Alhaji Sule Lamido ( while being the Governor of Jigawa State, Nigeria), Aminu Sule Lamido, Mustapha Sule Lamido, Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited and Speeds International Limited between 15th October and 18th December, 2008 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did convert an aggregate sum of N 124, 649, paid by Dantata & Sawoe Limited into the account of Speeds International Limited domiciled with an old generation Bank at Kano which fund you reasonably ought to have known to be proceeds of an unlawful act of Alhaji Sule Lamido who was a Public Officer within the meaning of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers as prescribed under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ( as amended ) to wit; engaging in private business by a public officer, using the said company in which he is a director and a shareholder, and to whose account he is a signatory; with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the said sum and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 (A) of the Money Laundering Act, 2004.”

The trial continues on Wednesday.