On October 16, 2023, Justice Tijani Ringim delivered the verdict in the trial of Jauro and two co-defendants.
The individuals involved in the case, namely Jauro, Dr. Dauda Bitrus Bawa, and the company Thlumbau Enterprises Limited, are currently facing legal action by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges against them encompass nineteen counts, specifically related to allegations of theft and money laundering amounting to N304,118,500 (three hundred and four million, one hundred and eighteen thousand five hundred Naira).
During the hearings held on Monday, a third witness for the prosecution, identified as PW3 and named Orji Chukwuma, provided testimony to the Court. Chukwuma, who served as an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated that he first encountered the defendant during his tenure as the Head of Special Task Force 3 at the EFCC's Lagos branch.
During his subsequent testimony, the individual informed the court that objections were raised against the admissibility of the defendant's allegations before Honourable Justice Mojisola Olatoregun.
During the court proceedings, the evidence I presented was duly documented. Chukwuma stated that he also provided testimony during a trial-within-trial and underwent cross-examination conducted by Olalekan Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
When questioned by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness confirmed that he remembered the first defendant's statements being admitted as evidence and marked as exhibits Q, Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 during the previous trial-within-trial before Justice Olatoregun.
Oyedepo thereafter endeavored to present, as evidence, the proceedings of the trial-within-trial that were permitted and designated as exhibits by Justice Olatoregun.
The aforementioned statements of the primary defendant were provided on January 28, 2016, October 12, 2015, March 17, 2016, and March 24, 2016.
During the court proceedings, Ojo expressed his lack of opposition towards the admission of the statements designated as exhibits in the trial-within-trial.
Justice Ringim acknowledged and designated the statements as exhibits Twt1 to Twt5.
During the proceedings, Oyedepo inquired about the witness's reaction to the first defendant's allegations regarding the involuntary nature of his remarks. In answer, the witness asserted that the conditions under which the statements were collected were quite favorable.
According to his statement, the event took place within a spacious conference space. He was seated in a conference room with an oval-shaped table. The area in question is a publicly accessible location, hence permitting unrestricted entry to individuals at any given moment.
There were no instances of anybody bringing weaponry inside the conference venue.
We were both in the presence of individuals, which included individuals associated with the defendant and members of my own team.
Furthermore, Orji stated that appropriate cautionary instructions were given to the defendant prior to obtaining his statements.
In order to demonstrate his comprehension, the individual affixed his signature and date at both the commencement and conclusion of his assertions.
The defendant's statement, which was given in 2015, was made within the confines of his office located at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Upon being prompted by the prosecution counsel, the witness proceeded to examine exhibits T1–T5 and subsequently presented the cautionary words to the court as requested.
Additionally, the witness presented evidence to the court indicating the defendant's placement of his name and signature on all the statements, so acknowledging his awareness of the cautionary measures taken.
According to the witness, the endorsement report provided to the investigative team concludes the statement. The document contains a summary of the attestation.
The customary procedure involves placing the endorsement on the section that contains blank spaces. The aforementioned statement was voluntarily given and acknowledged in the presence of Justice Olatoregun.
The presiding judge, Justice Ringim, has scheduled an adjournment for the continuation of the trial on November 21 and 22, 2023.
