EFCC Witness Tells Court Suspect Impersonated Olukoyede’s Personal Assistant in $700,000 Fraud Case
An investigating officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Tanko Abubakar, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, that the first defendant in an alleged $700,000 fraud case, Ojoba Joshua, claimed to be the Personal Assistant to the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Abubakar, the second prosecution witness (PW2), made the disclosure on Thursday, November 5, 2026, during the trial of Joshua and the second defendant, Aliyu Haskim, before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie.
The EFCC is prosecuting both defendants on an amended four-count charge bordering on impersonation, conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretence.
According to the prosecution, Joshua allegedly paraded himself as Olukoyede’s Personal Assistant and conspired with Haskim to obtain $700,000 from a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello-Koko.
The defendants allegedly posed as EFCC operatives and approached Bello-Koko, claiming that his tenure as NPA managing director was under investigation by the commission. They reportedly told him that the EFCC Chairman and the Director of Operations had demanded $1 million to stop the investigation, before allegedly agreeing to collect $700,000.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Abubakar, while being cross-examined by counsel to the first defendant, Obinna Nwosu, said he encountered Joshua during the investigation, when the defendant introduced himself as the Personal Assistant to the EFCC Chairman.
When asked to provide evidence of the alleged introduction, the witness told the court that video recordings contained statements made by the second defendant, indicating that Joshua had introduced himself as the EFCC Chairman’s Personal Assistant.
“My Lord, there are video clips to show when the second defendant said in his statement that he is the PA to the EFCC Chairman. He said this when we were driving in the car,” Abubakar told the court.
However, when asked to identify the exact portion of the video recording where the statement was made, the trial judge observed that playing the entire footage would consume valuable court time.
Justice Onwuegbuzie consequently directed the prosecution to review the recordings, identify the relevant portions and present them to the court at the next sitting.
Meanwhile, prosecution counsel, Elizabeth Alabi, drew the court’s attention to an affidavit seeking permission to present her next witness virtually because the witness was outside the country and would be unable to attend the proceedings physically.
Justice Onwuegbuzie granted the application and adjourned the case to November 9, 16, 19, 23 and 30, 2026, for continuation of trial.
The defendants are facing allegations and have not been convicted.
EFCC Witness Tells Court Suspect Impersonated Olukoyede’s Personal Assistant in $700,000 Fraud Case