The third prosecution witness, Umar Babangida, on Monday told a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo, Abuja, that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) never approved the controversial contract awarded to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited for the $6 billion Mambilla Power Project.
Testifying in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, Babangida said Obasanjo, who chaired the FEC meeting of May 21, 2003, never gave approval for the contract and had directed Agunloye to withdraw his memorandum on the deal.
Quoting a 2023 letter by Obasanjo to the Attorney General, the witness said: 
> “The former President confirmed he did not give approval to the then Minister of Power and Steel to award the contract to Sunrise. He also directed the minister to present the memo to FEC for deliberation, not for award.”
Babangida, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said Obasanjo reiterated his position when he met with investigators in February 2024, affirming the contract was never authorised by him or the FEC.
Despite these directives, Babangida told the court that Agunloye went ahead and awarded the contract to Sunrise Power on May 22, 2003 — just 24 hours after the FEC asked him to withdraw the memo and seek competitive bidding.
Agunloye is being prosecuted by the EFCC on a seven-count charge bordering on the fraudulent award of the contract and official corruption involving $6 billion.
The EFCC witness also revealed financial transactions traced to Agunloye’s accounts, including a N3.6 million transfer on August 10, 2019, from one Shotire Jide Abiodun, a director at Sunrise Power and aide to the company’s promoter, Leno Laitan Adesanya. Additional transfers from Abiodun to Agunloye were also cited in October and November 2019.
Under cross-examination by EFCC lead counsel Abba Muhammed, SAN, the witness confirmed that Abiodun is closely linked to Adesanya, the owner of Sunrise Power.
The court adjourned the trial to June 18, 2025.
