Nigerian Pastor Allegedly Defrauded Atiku Abubakar's Wife of N918m

Titi Abubakar, the wife of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has dragged a popular man of God, Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs to an Ikeja high court.

 

The cleric is being sued for allegedly defrauding her of N918 million.

 

According to Daily Post, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had slammed the accused with a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property worth N918 million belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

 

While cross examining Atiku’s wife, Amos Ibe, counsel to Akpan-Jacobs, questioned why she used different names in company documents relating to the fraud.

 

“I thought that he was being genuine as a pastor with me during our business dealings,” she said while being cross-examined in the ongoing fraud trial against Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs, a pastor, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Dana Motors Ltd.

“Before I start cross examining you Ma, should I refer to you as Your Excellency?” Ibe asked.

 

“Why was the name Florence Doregos used in the petition from the EFCC which is exhibit one, as well as other fake names in documents you used to transact business with the first defendant?” he asked.

 

Replying, Abubakar said: “I am Her Excellency forever. It was under my instruction and direction that the petition was written.

“My name is Florence Doregos, my name is Titi Amina Atiku Abubakar, the Mrs in the petition is a mistake made by my lawyer.

 

“Florence is my name and it was easy for me to use Doregos while I was in state service.

“The name of my biological father is Dorego Albert, we are from Ilesha but I have cousins who are from the Republic of Benin.

“I can choose Doregos, I can choose Albert as my surname, they are all my names, even Dino Melaye, his name is Daniel but he calls himself Dino.

“I can twist my name anyhow I want.”

 

Responding to Ibe’s questions about her identity when she married the former vice-president, she said “I married my husband at the Ikoyi Registry in 1971.

 

“I was a Christian before I married my husband, Angelina is my baptismal name, Florence is my confirmation name.

“When I got married to my husband, I converted to Islam and I have been called Amina Titilayo, Titilayo was what I was called at home.”

 

Ibe, however, still questioning her real identity, told her that a book written in honour of her husband titled ‘Atiku: The Story of Atiku Abubakar,’ claimed that she was from a local government area in Adamawa.

“I am from my husband’s local government area by virtue of marriage,” she said.

 

“Whether I’m from the moon o, that’s not the matter on ground.”

 

THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd, a company created in 2000 belonged to Abubakar, Akpan-Jacobs and Fred Holmes.

 

She was alleged to be the majority shareholder with 49 percent shares, while Holmes and Akpan-Jacobs each had 25 percent shares.

 

Akpan-Jacobs, who also doubled as the company’s managing director and secretary, was accused to have gone to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and altered the share holding in his favour and forging the company’s board resolution.

 

According to the EFCC, welding a fraudulent shareholding power, Akpan-jacobs sold a property belonging to the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd for N918 million.

 

The property is located at Plot C63 A, Amuwo-Odofin Commercial Layout along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

 

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the defence disputed Abubakar’s claims that she invested over N1.2billion into the business transactions with the defendants.

 

“Your petition stated that you invested over N200 million and in another document it stated that you invested over N1.2billion, which fact is correct?” he asked.

 

“Do you have accounting reports, did you hire an auditor to look at the accounts, how did you arrive at N1.2billion?”

 

In her response, she said: “N200 million is the money I spent in building the bonded terminal, by the time it was ready, it was worth N1.2billion.

“Akpan-Jacobs never gave me any records, I was in the state service, I did not get any auditor, Akpan-Jacobs has the evidence of the money I spent, I didn’t know that our business transactions will become a court case.”

 

While in the witness box, Abubakar accused Akpan-Jacobs of using her company property as a collateral for a bank loan that he sought when he wanted to run for the Akwa Ibom gubernatorial election.

 

The judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye granted a cost of N100,000 against Akpan-Jacobs and adjourned the case till July 5 and 6 for continuation of trial.