From Sola Ojo, Abuja
Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, June 30, 2025, adjourned till July 1, 2025 further hearing in the trial of Mallam Ahmed Kuru, a former Managing Director of Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, and four others, over alleged N76bn and $31.5m fraud.
Kuru , alongside Capt. Roy Ilegbodu, Managing Director of Arik Air, Kamilu Omokide, Receiver Manager of Arik Air, Union Bank Nigeria Plc and Super Bravo Limited is facing trial on a six-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and abuse of office to the tune of N75bn and $31.5m fraud.
At the resumed sitting on Monday, the third prosecution witness, PW3, Muhammed Abbas Jega, a former Executive Director, Credits, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), stated that Arik debt with AMCON fell within the category of non-performing loans as categorised by the regulatory agencies in the country.
Jega, under cross-examination at the last adjourned sitting, had testified that the Arik loan, which AMCON purchased at the first phase of the Eligible Bank Asset (EBA) purchase, was performing.
However, during further cross examination, on Monday, he recanted his earlier testimonies to the court when he told the court that the AMCON leadership, which he was part of as an Executive Director, purchased from Union Bank and Bank PHB a whopping N85billion Arik debt.
He told the court that AMCON also extended an additional loan to the tune of N11bn as working capital to Arik.
According to him, despite the funds injected by AMCON as well as the BOI intervention funds injected into Arik, which AMCON also guaranteed, Arik was not able to service its obligations with AMCON up until the time he left AMCON.
“Though I served as Executive Director, Credits, AMCON, and carried out all my actions with Board’s approval, I never sighted the Loan Purchase Agreement, which chronicled the number and credit details regarding the embattled Arik loan, especially from Union Bank.
“As at the time I left AMCON in 2015, the Arik loan was non-performing,” he said.
Jega, who maintained that Union Bank deceived AMCON, stated that it was after the “so-called London meeting between the obligor and the Executive Management of AMCON that it became clear that there were issues with the purchase.”
He, however, failed to explain why he could not escalate the matter to both the Board of AMCON and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Jega also admitted that aside from the guarantees, Arik Air Limited and its promoter had other loans with AMCON.
Under further cross-examination, he admitted that apart from Union Bank, none of the defendants in the criminal trials, was part of the acquisition or restructuring of the Arik loan.
The matter was adjourned till July 1, 2025 for continuation of trial.
