ABUJA — The trial of Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, who allegedly masterminded an elaborate extortion scheme by posing as top aides to the Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, intensified on Thursday. The prosecution tendered incriminating physical and documentary evidence before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting in Apo, Abuja.
The defendants are standing trial on an amended four-count charge bordering on criminal conspiracy, impersonation, and obtaining the sum of $700,000 under false pretenses.
According to court filings, the duo targeted Muhammad Bello-Koko, a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). Posing as anti-graft operatives, the fraudsters approached the former NPA boss with claims that his stewardship was under active investigation by the commission.
The syndicate allegedly claimed that both the EFCC Chairman and the Director of Operations demanded a $1,000,000 bribe to sweep the probe under the rug. After intense negotiations, they coerced their victim into parting with $700,000.
Documentary and Physical Evidence Admitted
During Thursday’s proceedings, the second prosecution witness (PW2), Tanko Abubakar—an EFCC operative attached to the Land and Property Section of the Ibadan Zonal Command—continued his testimony led by the prosecution counsel, Elizabeth Alabi.
Abubakar detailed how intelligence tracking led to the apprehension of the suspects. The second defendant, Hashim, was nabbed at a hotel in Area 11, Abuja, while Joshua, the first defendant, was cornered at his private residence.
In a dramatic courtroom presentation, the witness produced a brown bag containing marked cash amounting to $100,000, alongside electronic gadgets and physical assets recovered during the operation.
Among the items tendered were:
- A white flash drive containing digital footage and video recordings of the suspects—including recordings taken while they volunteered statements at the EFCC headquarters.
- Mobile devices comprising a Samsung Galaxy Flip, a Samsung Galaxy Note (seized from Hashim), and an iPhone 11 Pro Max (retrieved from Joshua).
- A sleek black 2016 Toyota Prado Jeep (Registration Number: GWA 666 EA, Abuja), recovered from the second defendant.
Testifying further, Abubakar recalled how investigators recorded a live video call between the two defendants, during which Hashim allegedly confirmed to Joshua that the extorted funds had been successfully collected.
Legal Fireworks and Adjournment
While the first defense counsel, O. Nwosu, raised no objections to the admissibility of the items, counsel for the second defendant, M. B. Inuwa, voiced legal reservations.
Overruling the objections, Justice Onwuegbuzie admitted all the presented assets—the Prado Jeep, the mobile phones, the marked $100,000 cash stack, the brown bag, and the evidentiary flash drive—marking them formally as Exhibits PW2A through PW2F.
The trial has been adjourned to October 26, 2026, for further hearings.
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