Proceedings in the ongoing Mambilla power project trial resumed on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, with dramatic exchanges as the defence team described the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s star witness as a “tainted witness” whose testimony, it argued, was riddled with contradictions.
The court sat at 1:53 p.m., and the matter was immediately called. The defence proceeded with the cross-examination of Prosecution Witness 3 (PW3), Mr. Umar Babangida of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During questioning, PW3 identified the ICRC Act of 2005 and confirmed that it was not violated by the defendant.
However, tensions rose when PW3 maintained that the defendant knew Mr. Leno Adesanya, Chief Executive Officer of Sunrise Company, before becoming Minister of Power.
When asked to point to evidence, PW3 cited the defendant’s statement and read aloud:
“I have known of Mr. Leno Adesanya but I never met him before I became Minister of Power which was in early December 2002.”
Despite this, PW3 insisted that the defendant had personally told him otherwise in the course of official duty.
Under further questioning, he acknowledged that such personal information should ordinarily be documented and admitted there was no document before the court proving any prior relationship between the defendant and Adesanya or Sunrise Company.
When directed by the judge to review all exhibits tendered, PW3 stated:
“I cannot identify any documents establishing any relationship between the Defendant and Mr. Leno Adesanya or Sunrise Company before the Defendant became Minister, or while he was the Minister of Power.”
The courtroom atmosphere grew tense as lead prosecution counsel, Mr. Mohammed Abba, SAN, repeatedly raised objections, at times seeking to clarify or reinterpret the witness’s responses.
The defence counsel, in turn, urged the court to regard PW3 as unreliable.
At one point, exchanges between the two senior lawyers became so heated that the presiding judge had to intervene firmly, reminding counsel:
“That’s my job. It’s not for you to argue about… let the witness do his part.”
After the day’s proceedings, the court adjourned the matter to March 11 and 12, 2026, for the continuation and conclusion of PW3’s cross-examination.
The Mambilla case, which has drawn significant public attention due to its implications for Nigeria’s power sector, continues to unfold with high-stakes legal arguments on both sides.
Mambilla Trial: Defence Brands EFCC Witness Tainted Amid Clashes
