ETUKODOH V. EFCC: SEVEN-YEAR-OLD, BANK STAFF AMONG BENEFICIARIES OF NON-REGULAR ALLOWANCES FROM FCMLST, JOS
By Peter Azi – Jis
There was intensive cross-examination by the prosecuting counsel in the ongoing case involving Dr. Sunday Etukudoh, the former Provost of the Federal College of Medical Laboratory Science and Technology (FCMLST), Jos, and Henry Oyibo, the second defendant.
The case, which commenced in 2018, involves the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which is prosecuting the two defendants over alleged financial misappropriation and embezzlement.
When the matter came up for the cross-examination of Defence Witness 4 (DW4) at the Federal High Court in Jos, the EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Seidi Joshua, Esq., subjected the witness to extensive questioning.
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When asked whether he knew one Samuel Yusuf, the witness answered in the affirmative, stating that Yusuf had worked under him for two years.
The prosecuting counsel further asked the witness whether he was already working at the institution when the alleged irregularities occurred. The witness admitted that he was not at the institution at the time and that his testimony before the court was based on information he had gathered.
When asked why he had failed to block the alleged financial leakages, considering his responsibility as a gatekeeper against financial irregularities, the witness responded that the matter had not been brought to his attention.
As the cross-examination intensified, the lead counsel to the first defendant, Solomon Umoh, SAN, repeatedly intervened, arguing that the prosecution should not restrict the witness to answering only “yes” or “no” questions. However, the court overruled the objections.
The EFCC’s counsel also accused the witness of misconduct during the proceedings, prompting a caution from the presiding judge over his conduct in court.
₦19 Million Non-Regular Allowances Under Scrutiny
Exhibit 8A was identified as a memorandum sent to the Provost concerning outstanding payments of non-regular allowances amounting to ₦19 million to staff members.
When confronted with Exhibit DW5, the witness was asked to identify the beneficiaries listed under numbers 12, 13, 14 and 15 in the document relating to payments of non-regular allowances in December 2014.
The names and amounts presented in court were as follows:
- Henry Oyibo, the second defendant, was listed in connection with the December 2014 payment of non-regular allowances.
- Ibrahim Musa Gazama was said to have received ₦953,000 during the same period.
- Henry Ogala was listed as having received ₦95,300 in the same year.
- Esther Adeho was listed as having received ₦953,700.
According to the prosecuting counsel, Gazama denied being a staff member of the institution.
In response to questions about the individuals listed in the documents, the witness stated that he did not know all of them personally and had only seen their names.
The witness was also questioned about whether he knew that Esther was seven years old at the time the payment was allegedly made.
When asked whether he would be surprised to learn that Lucy Ogala had stated that she was not a staff member of the institution, the witness replied that he would not be surprised.
The court also heard that the second defendant allegedly received payment through his personal bank account.
On the issue of payments made in December, the witness was asked whether funds were supposed to be returned to the Federal Government’s coffers at the end of the financial year. He responded that payments could still be made as late as December 31.
Court Directs Defence to Close Its Case
Following the cross-examination, the presiding judge directed the defence counsel to produce their two remaining witnesses the following day and close their case.
The counsel to the second defendant was also directed to present his sole witness on Thursday and close his case thereafter.
The proceedings are expected to continue as the court moves towards the conclusion of the defence’s presentation of evidence.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper October 21st, 2026
