EFCC: Ex-NIMASA DG ‘converted’ N378m

The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday heard how a former acting Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Calistus Obi, allegedly converted over N378 million to his personal use.

Obi, a former NIMASA Executive Director, Maritime Labour and Cabotage Service, took over from Patrick Akpobolokemi, who is facing five separate charges for fraud and theft.

Obi, Dismass Alu Adoon, Grand Pact Limited and Global Sea Investment Limited were arraigned on eight counts of converting N378,810,000 from NIMASA.

At his trial yesterday, an unlicensed Bureau De Change operator, Mallam Sulaiman Oseni, said he changed $111 million for Dismass three times.

He said he first changed N12 million, which he handed over to him at NIMASA’s office in Apapa.

According to him, Adoon also sent N49.5 million twice which he changed to dollars and gave him at a hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Oseni said because his firm was not registered, sometimes he paid the monies given to him into the account of his boss, Mallam Koloni Mohammed.

Muhammed also testified that he changed of $350,000 USD for the accused persons through Oseni.

He said he had no business relationship with NIMASA, adding that Oseni forwarded his account details to NIMASA through which the officials paid the monies.

A Marketer with Heritage Banks Plc, Mr. Saidu Yussuf, said Obi was the only signatory to Global Seal Investment Limited. He said the firm received N15 million from NIMASA’s Committee of Intelligence from where it was transferred to different accounts, including Obi’s.

A Compliance Officer at Access Bank Plc, Oliver Ewerem, also testified that Global Seal and Knight Sheriff Limited received N15 million each from the account of NIMASA’s Committee on Intelligence Gathering.

He said the money was transferred into the account of Grand Pack Limited, while N111 million was transferred to Kostal Mega Limited’s account with First Bank Plc, an account belonging to a Bureau De Change operator.

Trial continues today.

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