A prosecution witness has told a Lagos State Special Offences Court how millions of naira allegedly flowed into the accounts of a senior official of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) from contractors handling railway projects.
The defendant, Oche Jerry Ogbole-Inalegwu, who serves as Director of Mechanical Services at the NRC, is currently facing trial over an alleged ₦395.19 million fraud. He was arraigned on February 25, 2026, on a nine-count charge.
Testifying before Justice Mojisola Dada at the Ikeja court, the first prosecution witness, a compliance officer with Access Bank Plc, said a total of ₦268,503,653 was traced to accounts linked to the defendant.
Led in evidence by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Abba Mohammed, the witness explained that the funds originated from several contractors and firms involved in NRC-related projects.
Some of the companies mentioned included China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), Abads Ventures Limited, Waliki Nigeria Limited, Goa Multilink, and Luscord International, among others. The transactions, according to the witness, were carried out between February 2019 and October 2025.
One of the specific allegations before the court is that Ogbole-Inalegwu, while serving as Railway District Manager and allegedly operating under the business name Altech Engineering Services, received ₦11.39 million from CCECC through an Access Bank account connected to him, in relation to contracts awarded by the NRC.
During cross-examination, the defence counsel, Modechi Adejoh, questioned how banks record transaction descriptions and identify parties involved in financial transfers. The witness explained that narration formats differ across banking systems and are not standardised.
After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Dada adjourned the matter to June 4, 2026, for continuation of trial.
The case is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as part of ongoing efforts to address alleged financial misconduct in public institutions.
