The Mambilla Hydropower Project trial experienced interruptions on Monday, March 16, 2026, due to ongoing renovations at the FCT High Court chambers in Apo District. The works forced Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie to move proceedings from Court 30 to Court 14 before the session could resume.
After the temporary relocation, court proceedings finally commenced around 12:30 pm and continued until 3:00 pm. During this time, the defence team concluded its cross-examination of the EFCC’s key witness, Umar Babangida, known as PW3. His testimony highlighted critical aspects of the contract and the investigation, paving the way for the next stage of the trial and setting the tone for what promises to be a pivotal continuation in this high-profile case.
On the last day of his cross-examination, PW3 made a striking disclosure: the Defendant is said to have saved the Federal Government close to $900 million by awarding the May 21, 2003 Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project as a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) contract, limiting government equity to just 10 percent. This decision marked a sharp departure from earlier proposals, which included a 25 percent equity stake approved by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo and a 35 percent share recommended by the Minister of Power who served before Olu Agunloye, the Defendant in the case.
However, in a noteworthy move, after calculating and presenting to the court how this figure was arrived at, PW3 went on to say: “the Defendant caused the $900 million saving for Federal Government by his unilateral decision.”
During cross-examination, EFCC witness Umar Babangida highlighted inconsistencies in the various versions of the “Minutes of the 21 May 2003 Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting” submitted to the court. He pointed out that “Exhibit 3D contains Paragraphs 13, 14, and 15, while Exhibit 3K includes only Paragraph 14,” underscoring the discrepancies in the documentation.
Babangida further acknowledged that the Defendant, in an extra-judicial statement, had instructed him and other EFCC investigators to consult surviving members of the 2003 FEC to get a complete picture of the meeting. However, he admitted that he did not follow this guidance, opting instead to interview only former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who chaired the council at the time.
As cross-examination continued, Babangida, admitted that another prosecution witness, Jide Sotinrin, had not informed him that the payments made to the Defendant’s account in August (N3.6 million), October (N500,000), and December (N1.1 million) 2019 were gratifications from Leno Adesanya. Despite this, he maintained his position that the transfers were retroactive bribes tied to the May 2003 Mambilla contract, made to Olu Agunloye more than 16 years after leaving public office. Babangida also disclosed that the Defendant had mentioned personal health issues and his son’s need for medical surgery in 2019, but admitted he had not reached out to the Defendant’s son or other recipients of the payments to verify these claims.
PW3 further told the court that he could not recall the exact date the Public Procurement Act was enacted, but accepted, when informed, that it came into effect in 2007—four years after the Mambilla contract was awarded. He added that he was unaware of any Ministerial Tenders Board at the time, though he acknowledged that an Inter-Ministerial Technical Committee had oversight over the project.
Following the conclusion of the cross-examination, the defence formally closed its case, and Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie adjourned proceedings until 12:00 pm on Monday, 30 March 2026, as the high-profile trial continues.