UPDATE: More Mambilla Revelations in Court on Monday, 19 Jan. ’26
Court resumed at 9 am but the Agunloye Trial was called at 11 am. The sitting judge, however, limited the cross-examination session to only one hour for today.
During the one hour, Senior EFCC Investigation Officer. Mr Umar Babangida, tagged PW3, made startling revelations before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at FCT High Court today, Monday, 19th of January 2026.
Before the High Court Judge, Mr. Umar Babangida, PW3 admitted:
– That the recommendations upon which the Mambilla contract was awarded to Sunrise was based on the MOU signed by Sunrise and its Partners and FGN before Agunloye was appointed Minister.
– That President Obasanjo had approved the details of the Mambilla Contract to Sunrise Company before Agunloye was appointed Minister of Power.
– That the former Minister of Power and Sunrise had earlier proposed “35% Government participation” but President Obasanjo approved “not more than 25%”, again, before Agunloye was appointed Minister of Power.
– That when Agunloye became Minister of Power, he took the Memo on Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Contract to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and complied with the President’s specifications.
– That the Memo which Agunloye submitted to FEC was supported by the FEC members. PW3, initially feigned ignorance of this support by FEC members saying: “I dont know what ‘support’ means”. Whe the court prevailed upon PW3 to read the relevant paragraph from the “Executive Conclusions” which the EFCC submitted as Exhibit E3 to the court, he read: “members of FEC supported the Memo”.
– That prior to the FEC meeting of 21/05/03 during which Agunloye presented the Mambilla Memo, FGN had already appropriated a sum of N6 billion in the 2003 FGN Budget for the take-off of preliminary works in readiness of the construction of the 39 Megawatt Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project as a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contract for which the contractor, Sunrise Company would source and provide funds estimated as $6 billion from private investors.
The court adjourned at 12.05 pm and the cross-examination will continue at 1 pm on Wednesday, 21 January 2026.
Rafiu Abdullahi. Abuja
19 January 2026
