A witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Trinity Usman, on Monday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he received and transferred $3 million into a company account belonging to Mrs. Aisha Achimugu.
Usman, the second prosecution witness (PW-2), testified before Justice Emeka Nwite in the ongoing trial of Halima Buba, Managing Director of SunTrust Bank, and Innocent Mbagwu, the bank’s Executive Director and Chief Compliance Officer.
The EFCC is prosecuting the duo on a six-count charge of money laundering involving $12 million, accusing them of aiding high-value cash transactions without routing them through a financial institution — a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), the witness, a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, explained that in April 2025, he was contacted by one Suleiman Ciroma, who requested that he transfer $3 million to Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, a firm owned by Achimugu.
> “I had the funds available in my Triple A and Tee Oil & Gas Nig. Ltd account. After reaching an agreement, Ciroma delivered the cash to me, and I transferred the equivalent to Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd in four tranches,” Usman said.
He noted that while his BDC licence had been suspended at the time, he carried out the transactions using his oil and gas company account. Usman confirmed that he handled the exchange through his staff, Abdulkadir Mohammed and Kabir Haruna, and that the corresponding naira payment was made into his Triple A and Tee Service Venture Ltd account.
During cross-examination, Usman admitted that he did not inform the defendants about his suspended BDC licence or his decision to use his oil firm’s account for the transfer. He also confirmed earning a profit from the transactions.
> “The decision to use my oil and gas company account was mine alone,” he told the court.
Earlier, during the cross-examination of PW-1, Suleiman Ciroma, owner of Funnacle BDC Ltd, the witness stated that Achimugu requested the transfer because she could not deposit the funds directly into a bank account without raising regulatory red flags.
> “If she had deposited the cash, she would not have been able to transfer it. That’s why the funds were routed through us,” Ciroma said.
He confirmed that the dollar equivalent — less charges — was transferred to Achimugu’s company account and that the funds were allegedly connected to the purchase of two oil blocks.
Ciroma also admitted under questioning that he never met the defendants in person, nor did he produce any messages linking them to the transaction.
Justice Nwite adjourned the matter until December 10 and 11, 2025, for the continuation of trial.
