ONSA Arms Deal: N4.6b was traced to Bafarawa’s son, witness tells court

Hamza Abdullahi, the Second Prosecution Witness in the trial-within-trial of former Sokoto State governor, Attahiru Bafarawa, and four others, has told Justice Y. Halilu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that a sum of N4.633 billion was traced to the account of Dalhatu Investment Limited where Bafarawa’s son, Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa and one other person, simply identified as Nasir, were directors, with the former being the sole signatory to the company’s bank account.

Abdullahi stated that in 2015, he was the second-in-command of the Special Task Force, Fraud Investigation on Arms, Defence Equipment Procurement in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on the activities of 78 companies that received money from ONSA without justification, adding that Dalhatu Investment Limited was among the companies.

“From the report we received from ONSA, when we scrutinised the report, we traced the sum of N4.633 billion paid to Dalhatu Investment Limited Account, domiciled in United Bank for Africa (UBA), with Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa as the sole signatory of the account,” the witness said.

Abdullahi further informed the court that Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa, who is the fourth defendant, was interviewed on November 25, 2015, by the investigation team and that he made his statement voluntarily.
“My Lord, I witnessed the statement dated 25/11/2015 of Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa. “

He was interviewed in my presence; the statement was also recorded in my presence.”

After the written statement, I read it to him. Thereafter, I endorsed the written statement. I equally endorsed the second statement at 4pm and it was concluded by 4:25pm, the same day. I witnessed it; my name and signature were there,” he said.

The witness further informed the court that no kind of promise was made to the defendant and that he was neither threatened nor induced into writing any of the statements.

“My Lord, there was nothing like promises made to the accused, threat or inducement. To the best of my knowledge, there was nothing like that. It was a very conducive environment and that was the secretariat of the Special Task Force at the Head Office then. The secretariat is the conference room of the Chairman and no member of the Special Task Force is authorised to make any promise in the course of investigation.

“When Sagir Attahiru Bafarawa honoured our invitation, he came with his lawyer and he was confronted with the evidence that we have. Afterwards, he said he needed to consult his lawyer and later volunteered his written statement. These statements were based on the fact of the evidence we have on the company,” he said.

He also stated that the defendant promised to avail the investigation team with detailed analysis of the beneficiaries of the said fund traced to his account, adding that he voluntarily came forward with the details.

“I have decided to make this statement without my lawyer. Attached here are the details signed by me,” the witness quoted from the statement of the defendant.

Justice Halilu thereafter adjourned the matter till May 22, 2024, for the defence to open their case in the trial-within-trial.