A Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, Ayuba Tanko, testified on Wednesday in the ongoing money laundering case against former Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano, revealing he received N416 million over eight months on behalf of a company he managed by proxy.
Appearing before Justice Inyang Ekwo at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Ayuba stated that the funds were deposited between April and December 2017, with a total amount converted to $1.137 million. Led in evidence by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel Slyvanus Tahir (SAN), Ayuba disclosed, “I am a trader. I trade in foreign exchange, dealing in USDs, Euros, and pounds sterling. I source customers, facilitate exchanges, and earn a commission.”
Ayuba, the fifth prosecution witness, clarified that he handled the transactions through two companies he owns—Sauki Bureau De Change and Zigaziga Trading and Company Ltd—and confirmed he was invited by the EFCC in 2023 regarding activities on Zigaziga Trading’s bank account. He explained, “Between April 2017 to December 2017, the total money I received at that period was N416 million, which I converted to a dollar equivalent of $1,137,000.”
Ayuba emphasized that he had no direct dealings with Obiano himself, a point reiterated during cross-examination by Obiano’s lawyer, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN). “I did not deal directly with the defendant,” Ayuba responded.
In addition to Ayuba, the prosecution presented testimonies from three bankers involved in the case, with Justice Ekwo adjourning the trial to February 24, 25, and 26, 2025, for continuation.
