Did Ohakim Pay $2.9m Cash For Abuja House?

Did former Imo State Governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim pay N270m (equivalent of $2.9m) cash for a property at Asokoro, Abuja in...? Does Chief Ohakim actually own the said property located at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkrumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja?

These are allegations the EFCC is trying to prove before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

At the resumed hearing of the case against Ohakim on Tuesday, prosecution witness, Ishaya Dauda told the court that Ohakim paid N270m in cash for a plot of land at No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, also known as No.60, Kwame Nkrumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

He also tendered statements which he said the former governor volunteered on the subject matter as exhibits.

Following Chief Ohakim's arraignment before the court on July 8 on a three-count charge of money laundering, Justice Ademola had admitted him to bail on self recognition on July 9, 2015.

At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, Ishaya Dauda, a Senior Detective Superintendent with the EFCC said Chief Ohakim was invited by the anti graft agency in 2013.

His words ;
“I gave him the petitions to go through and asked him if he would be willing to volunteer a statement or not and he answered in the affirmative. I then administered the word of caution and EFCC statement form on him. I also asked him whether he understood the word of caution and he said yes; then, he signed the form, indicating that he understood the word of caution.”

Dauda said that the former governor made five different statements between 2013 and 2015 in addition to the EFCC Assets Declaration Form which he filled.

Copies of the five statements allegedly obtained from Ohakim on January 25, 2013; January 31, 2013; June 18, 2015; June 22, 2015 and June 29, 2015, were tendered and admitted in evidence as exhibits EFCC 1 - 5.

Testifying further, Dauda said ;
“Working on the intelligence reports at our disposal, after the accused person had declared his assets, it was discovered that there was no banking transaction for the purchase of the property. We found out that only cash payment was made in respect of the property. So, we took the accused person to the property. When we brought him back to our office, we asked him who owns the property and he said he rented the property through one Abu Sule, Managing Director, Tweenex Consociate H.D. Limited.”

At this juncture, the court adjourned till November 12 and 13 for continuation of hearing.