A prosecution witness in the trial of Patrick Akpobolokemi, former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, has told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he personally delivered $15 million in cash to the former agency chief.
The witness, Ezekiel Bala‑Agaba, who previously served as executive director in charge of Maritime Safety, Shipping Development and Marine Operations at NIMASA, made the disclosure while giving evidence before the court.
Bala-Agaba explained that he was originally listed as one of the defendants in the case but later chose to cooperate with prosecutors and testify for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Akpobolokemi was appointed director-general of NIMASA in 2010 by former President Goodluck Jonathan but was removed from office in 2015.
In December 2015, the EFCC filed a 30-count charge against him and seven other defendants, accusing them of conspiracy, fraudulent conversion of public funds and money laundering.
Those listed in the charge alongside the former NIMASA boss include Warredi Enisuoh, Governor Juan, Ugo Frederick, Timi Alari, and two firms — Alkenzo Limited and Penniel Engineering Services Limited.
According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants allegedly collaborated to divert more than N1.15 billion under the guise of providing maritime security intelligence services.
The EFCC has also filed separate charges against Akpobolokemi in other courts over alleged cases of fraud and theft.
While being led in evidence by EFCC counsel Suleiman Suleiman, Bala-Agaba told the court that funds meant for pipeline surveillance were withdrawn from NIMASA accounts, converted into foreign currency and eventually handed to Akpobolokemi.
He said the naira funds were taken to a bureau de change operator, who exchanged the money and later delivered the dollar equivalent to NIMASA’s office on Burma Road in Apapa, Lagos.
“The money was sent to a bureau de change, which later brought the dollar equivalent to our office at Burma Road, Apapa, Lagos,” he told the court.
Bala-Agaba said he then asked his personal assistant, Ekene Nwakuche, to accompany him with the bag containing the cash to the director-general’s office.
According to him, he collected the bag from his assistant at the entrance and entered the office alone before handing the money directly to Akpobolokemi.
During the proceedings, the witness was also presented with a document containing a letter from Access Bank to the EFCC detailing transactions conducted through NIMASA accounts between 2013 and 2015.
When asked by the court to confirm the amount he delivered to the former agency head, Bala-Agaba said the sum was $15 million.
Following the testimony, Ayokunle Faji adjourned the matter until April 22 and 23 for continuation of the trial.
In 2023, a court ordered Akpobolokemi to forfeit several properties located in Banana Island and Ikoyi in Lagos to the Nigerian government. He was also ordered to forfeit more than N725 million, said to be proceeds allegedly diverted from the maritime agency.
The forfeiture order was issued by a Federal High Court in Lagos, with Tijjani Ringim ruling that the funds used to acquire the properties were illegally diverted while Akpobolokemi headed NIMASA.
However, the order was later voided by another Federal High Court in June 2024.
In June 2025, the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi of a N754.8 million fraud charge brought against him by the EFCC. The former NIMASA boss, however, still faces another ongoing case instituted by the anti-corruption agency.
