The Second Prosecution Witness (PW2), Akeem Lasisi, in the trial of Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim before Justice J.O. Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo, Abuja, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, narrated how his team arrested the defendants.
The duo allegedly impersonated officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Joshua, the first defendant, claimed to be the Personal Assistant to the Commission’s Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, in a bid to defraud the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohammed Bello Koko, of $700 million.
The EFCC is prosecuting Joshua alongside Hashim on an amended four-count charge bordering on impersonation, conspiracy, and obtaining by false pretence the sum of $700,000 (Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars).
At Wednesday’s proceeding, the witness, an EFCC operative, while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel Elizabeth Alabi, told the court that he was the leader of Team A of the Cybercrime Unit at the Commission’s headquarters in 2024.
He stated that he was directed to investigate intelligence indicating that certain individuals were impersonating officers of the Commission, with one claiming to be Olukoyede’s personal assistant.
According to Lasisi, “Under the guise of a false identity, the defendants approached the former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello Koko, claiming that his tenure as the MD of the NPA was being investigated by the EFCC.”
“They further claimed that the EFCC Chairman and the Director of Operations had requested one million dollars to stop the investigation. Upon the receipt of this petition, we contacted Mr. Koko. At that time, he was not in the country, but he confirmed the content of the intelligence report and that one million dollars was requested from him, which he said he had negotiated down to $700,000. He told them that his brother would contact them for the handing over of the cash. At that point, an undercover operative was detailed to maintain communication with the impersonators.”
Testifying further, he disclosed: “On the 28th of August, 2024, following communication between the undercover operative and the defendants, a location was agreed upon for the exchange of the cash. The team proceeded to AA Rano Filling Station on Airport Road, Abuja, for the arrest, but a new location was subsequently agreed upon with the undercover operative, Abubakar Tanko. The team then proceeded to the new location on Gimbiya Street, where our undercover operative took his position. Shortly after, the second defendant arrived at the location in a black Toyota SUV with the plate number GWA666PA. The operative approached the second defendant to hand over a prepared bag containing dummy US dollar notes. At the point of exchange, my team moved in to effect the arrest of the second defendant.”
The witness added that the second defendant eventually led the team to the residence of the first defendant, who was subsequently arrested. A search was conducted at his house, resulting in the recovery of two phones from him and a Prado SUV from the second defendant.
Following their arrest, Lasisi noted that both defendants were conveyed to the EFCC headquarters, where they made their statements under caution, which were captured on video in the presence of their lawyers.
Upon the conclusion of his testimony, the prosecution counsel sought an adjournment to enable her to complete the administrative process of towing the recovered Prado SUV to the court so it could be tendered as an exhibit.
She also sought the leave of the court to play the video recordings of the defendants making their extrajudicial statements at the EFCC.
Justice Onwuegbuzie granted her prayers and adjourned the matter until July 15 and 16, 2026.