Musa Tahir, ex-Deputy Comptroller General, Nigerian Customs Service, on Thursday, spoke on the N12 million allegedly paid into Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s bank account by former CG, Abdullahi Dikko.
Giving his testimony during cross-examination by Olawale Akoni in the trial before an Ikeja High Court in Lagos State, Tahir said: “I have seen Hon. Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia but I have never met her one on one”.
“I don’t know why the former Comptroller General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, said the money should be paid into my colleague, Musa Omale’s account to be forwarded into the account of the judge.
“I don’t have the paper in which the CGC wrote the directive; the paper was handed over to Omale who worked in my office. I don’t know the source of the money, the CGC who gave the directive is still alive.”
Tahir, while giving his evidence-in-chief on May 26, had told the court that the NCS had paid N12 million sourced from 12 Area Commands into the bank account of the judge.
In his May 26 testimony, Tahir had said: “Sometime in 2014, when I was a Deputy Comptroller General, I was working at the NCS headquarters Wuse, Abuja I was in the office of the CGC, Abdullahi Dikko, my immediate boss.
“Dikko handed a paper and the name and bank account details of a company called Nigel and Colive was written on it.
“I was told to hand over the piece of paper to one Musa Omale, who worked in my office and I was told by Dikko to liaise with Area Comptrollers of 12 commands who will send some money to Omale who will in turn transfer the money into the account.
“The twelve commands are: Tin Can Island, Lilibong Area, Kirikiri Larger Terminal, Abraka, Seme Area Command, Murtala Area Command, Area Command Field Operations Zone A and Area Command Field Operations Zone B.
“Kaduna Area Command, Katsina Area Command, Federal Operations, Zone C Area Command, Onne Area Command in Port Harcourt and Ogun Area Command.”
Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case until September 29, for continuation of trial.
Ofili-Ajumogobia, is standing trial alongside Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and former prosecutor of the EFCC.
Ofili-Ajumogobia faces a 26-count charge bordering on unlawful enrichment, taking property by a public officer, corruption, forgery and giving false information to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
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