EFCC officer forced me to write incriminating statement - Major general claims

- Emmanuel Atewe, a former commander of the Joint Military Task Force, JTF has alleged that he was forced to write incriminating statement

- He is standing standing trial alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former director-general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Kime Enzogu

- Mr Atewe opposed the tendering of his statements in evidence on the grounds that they were involuntarily obtained and that they were dictated to him

Mr Atewe, a retired major general who is standing trial alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former director-general of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Kime Enzogu and Josephine Otuaga, has claimed that a statement was forced out of him.

Alongside other defendants, he is facing trial on a 22-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and money laundering to the tune of N8.5billion.

The defendants allegedly conspired among themselves to defraud NIMASA of the said sum, using six companies namely Jagan Limited, Jagan Trading Company Limited, Jagan Global Services Limited, Al-Nald Limited, Paper Warehouse Limited, Eastpoint Integrated Services Limited and De-Newlink Integrated Services Limited.

Mr Atewe, opposed the tendering of his statements in evidence by the second prosecution witness (PW) Adamu Usman, an operative of the Economic and FinancialCrimes Commission, EFCC, on the grounds that they were involuntarily obtained and that they were dictated to him.

He claimed that he was threatened by Kanu Idagu, the team leader of the Special Task Force(STF) Unit of the EFCC and that he was subjected to inhuman treatment.

The presiding Judge, however, ordered a trial-within- trial to determine the voluntariness or otherwise of the statement.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reportedly the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, has reiterated the agency’s readiness to ensure that corruption is completely wiped out in Nigeria.

This, according to him, will ensure that the country retains her position in the comity of nations.

Former NNPC group managing director Andrew Yakubu in court over fraud allegations on NAIJ.com