Retired major general gave N35m out of looted Dasukigate funds to Winners Chapel

RETIRED Nigerian Army officer Major General Emmanuel Atewe has been accused of paying the Living Faith Church popularly known as Winners’ Chapel a sum of N35m $96,500 out of the N8.5bn he diverted from funds meant to procure arms for the military.

During the regime of former president Dr Goodluck Jonathan, over $1.3bn meant for the purchase of military hardware for troops fighting Boko Haram was diverted to private pockets. Several generals have been dragged to court over the matter and last week, Abuja businessman Nkem Ahidjo, claimed that General Atewe paid the money to Winners’ Chapel.

General Atewe served as the commander of the military Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, in the Niger Delta before his retirement. Last week he was re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged fraud of N8.5bn, which the agency claimed was perpetrated during the operation.

He is facing 22 counts before Justice AO Faji of the Federal High Court in Lagos. Other defendants in the case are a former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency Patrick Akpobolokemi, Kime Engozu and Josephine Otuaga.

They are accused of conspiring among themselves to divert N8.5bn from Operation Pulo Shield between September 5, 2014 and May 20, 2015, using six companies. The six companies were listed as Jagan, Jagan Trading Company, Jagan Global Services, Al-Nald, Paper Warehouse, Eastpoint Integrated Services and De-Newlink Integrated Services.

They had been arraigned on three occasions and had on each occasion pleaded not guilty to the offence. In a bid to prove its allegations, however, the EFCC called Mr Ahidjo as its first witness and led in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr Ahidjo introduced himself as a businessman, who dealt in stationeries, printing, and general contracts.

He said he carried on his trade under his five companies based in Abuja, adding that he was a registered contractor with the National Assembly, the National Population Commission and the Independent National Electoral Commission, to which he made supplies. Mr Ahidjo claimed to have known General Atewe from Villa Church in Abuja, where they both worshiped, as of when the retired general was still a guard commander.

Mr Ahidjo said, being a pentecostal, he also attended Living Faith Church and General Atewe also worshiped there. He said he cultivated a good relationship with General Atewe, to the extent that he attended a midnight church in the officer's house in Abuja, three times a week.

“He told me that the federal government gave JTF a grant for security and building of barracks and if I have any company into which money could be paid. Being somebody I knew very well from guard commander to Major General, I provided the companies that I listed earlier,” Mr Ahidjo said.

He added that on a second invitation and visit to General Atewe in Bayelsa, the officer told him that three payments were about to be made into his accounts and as soon as they were made he should acknowledge the payments and await further instructions. Mr Ahidjo added that within two to three days of the meeting, he started to receive the payments and accordingly informed General Atewe.