Mambilla update: Prosecutors panic as their witnesses give inconsistent accounts
MAMBILLA UPDATE – 8 JUNE 2026
Today, 8 June 2026, EFCC presented PW5 who appeared to have been brought to correct the damages already caused by the Defence lawyer during the cross-examinations of PW3 and PW4.
Under cross-examination, PW3, Mr. Umar Babangida, the lead witness of EFCC, admitted that EFCC presented two different “extracts of the Minutes of the FEC meeting of 21 May 2003″. When PW4, Mr Ugochukwu, was brought on 30 April 2026 for damage control he only further sealed the damages in concrete. He admitted that Extracts of a document cannot be different except if intentionally meant to be different. He told the court that he was the one, who while he was in the office of the SGF, certified the copy of the extracts of the 21 May 2003 meeting and sent it to EFCC. He was surprised that EFCC submitted two Extracts as Exhibits 3D and 3K. He compared the two and told the court they were not the same and not identical.
When PW5, Mr John Illya came on the 8th of June 2026 presumably to correct damages to PW3, he also did more damage. He had told the court under examination in chief on Monday, 1 June 2026 that it was he who, in June 2023, acting as an Assistant Legal Adviser in the Ministry of Power, certified the extracts of the minutes of FEC that was labelled Exhibit 3K. He was eloquent and confident. However, under cross-examination on 8 June, he admitted that he lied under oath and that he did not certify the extracts of the FEC meeting in June 2023. His principal, the Prosecution Lawyer, Mr. Abba Mohammed, SAN was agitated and he tried to save his witness. The defence lawyer, Mr. Adedipe stoically told the court, _”Counsel cannot give contrary evidence to what is in the proceedings and what has been said by a witness under oath”._ The judge ruled and accepted that PW5 lied before the court.
The prosecution told the court that after PW5, he would bring a final witness, PW6 who he described as “an elderly man widely travelled within and outside Nigeria” leaving broad speculations that PW6 could be the former president of Nigeria.
At 2.00 pm, the case was adjourned till 10.30 am on 10 June 2026. The judge also announced June 18 and July 2 to hear this Mambilla case.
Johnston Saliu, Abuja.
8 June 202
