A Bureau de Change Operator, Mr Musa Mohammed, on Thursday testified against the Chairman of Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA), Philips Fatuyi, charged with N43.5 million fraud.

Fatuyi is standing trial alongside his company, Oceanview Oil and Gas Ltd., on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences.

He, however, pleaded not guilty before an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

Mohammed was led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr  Spife Owede.

The witness told the court that he received an invitation from EFCC to come for questioning as part of investigations into the alleged offences of the defendant.

“I came across the defendant sometime in September 2016. He gave me $40,000 cash to help him change.

“I called my colleague to come and help pay the money into his account at the rate of $1 to N463 sum of N18,520,000.

“Afterwards, I received an invitation from the EFCC to come for questioning as part of investigations into the offences by the defendant.

“I wrote a  statement at the EFCC in which I told investigators how I got to know the defendant and the business transaction we had together,” the witness said.

The statement of the witness was admitted in evidence and marked  Exhibit P8, following no objections from defence counsel, Mr Olarewaju Ajanaku.

The witness told the court while being cross-examined by Ajanaku that he got to know the defendant in 2016 and that the business transaction he had with him was the only one between them.

Owede thereafter informed the court that Mohammed was the prosecution’s last witness, adding that the prosecution would be closing its case against the defendant.

Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case until May 26 for the defendant to open defence.

Its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, stated in Abuja on Wednesday that the suspects were arrested around Monark, Emene and Golf Course axis of Enugu, following actionable intelligence.

“The suspects are Ugwuanyi Kasiemobi, Emmanuel Agwu, Onyeama Arinze, Hycienth Emmanuel, Chibueze Oluebube, Ogaraku Obinna, Chibueze Onyedikachi, Austus Chiemerem, Ikechi Faithful and Okafor Chika.

“Others are Chimaobi Joshua, Onuoha Oluebubu, Udo Stanley, Igbo Ikenna, Nweke David, Obinna Obumneme, Okocha Ewah, Nweke Chidera, Justice Mba, David Nweke, Eze Chiwetalu, Nweke Chidubem and Ikechi David.

“Items recovered from them included one Mercedez Benz E350, one Lexus ES350, one Mercedes Benz CLE, one Toyota Camry, a Toyota Avalon and a black Mercedes Benz,’’ he stated.

Uwujaren added that other items recovered from the suspects who had made useful statements to the EFCC were 43 mobile phones, 11 laptop computers and charms.

They would be charged in court upon conclusion of investigation, he assured.

 The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) says findings from the ongoing investigation into multiple accounts of ex-agitators linked to one BVN will determine the fate of protesting beneficiaries.

This is contained in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja by Mr. Freston Akpor, Media Aide to the PAP Interim Administrator.

Akpor disclosed that the names of all those involved in the alleged BVN fraud had been forwarded to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for investigation.

He said that the Amnesty Office also blamed bank officials for colluding with the ex-agitators to aid the “financial crime”.

“So, investigation is ongoing, I must tell you there is nothing the PAP can do now over this matter until the investigation is concluded and then the ONSA will take a decision on what to do.

“This is a financial crime which is why the ONSA is investigating the matter.

“The policy is one name, one BVN. But in a situation where you have more than 30 names linked to one BVN, it becomes an issue.

“We discovered that 513 names were linked to 1370 accounts. And these are the people who have cases to answer.

“As it stands, those who are protesting are the people who fall within those who have multiple accounts linked to their BVN,” Akpor explained.

On the purported “gentleman agreement” with leaders of the ex-agitators to receive monies in bulk to pay the boys, Akpor said

“it is these same boys, that also complained that when the money is collected by these so-called leaders, the money doesn’t trickle down to them”.

A handful of ex-agitators on Tuesday gathered at the premises of the National Assembly to express anger over the stoppage of their monthly N65,000 stipends.

The PAP office had explained that the stoppage of payment was necessitated by the issues surrounding the BVNs of beneficiaries.