Bashir Mohammed, a witness at a federal high court in Lagos has said that Abdullahi Babalele, son-in-law of Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, gave Olusegun Obasanjo $140,000.
Mohammed, who was the first witness presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said this on Tuesday.
While being led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC prosecutor, Mohammed who described himself as Babalele’s close friend recounted how he delivered the money to the former president at his residence in Abeokuta.
According to him, the accused called him sometime in February, asking to help deliver a message to “an elder statesman”.
Mohammed said he was asked by Babalele to supply two bank accounts, which were credited with the said sum.
“When I got to the gate, somebody came and took me inside where I met former President Olusegun Obasanjo and delivered the message,” the witness said.
“I called the defendant in the presence of former President Obasanjo and informed him that I had delivered the message. He said that was good and thanked me.”
While being cross-examined by Mike Ozekhome, the defence counsel, Mohammed affirmed that he wrote a statement at the office of the EFCC during the investigation.
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The defence counsel, therefore, sought to tender the statement as an exhibit but was opposed by the prosecutor.
The presiding judge, Chukwujekwu Aneke, adjourned the case till Wednesday to rule on the admissibility of the document.
The accused was arraigned by the EFCC on a two-count charge of money laundering in August and was accused of laundering $140,000 in the build-up to the 2019 general election.
