An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness on Tuesday refuted claims by former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, that statements she made during investigations were obtained under duress.Testifying before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, EFCC operative Hamma Adama Bello appeared as the first prosecution witness in a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of Oyo-Ita’s statements.
Led by prosecution counsel, H. M. Mohammed, Bello told the court that Oyo-Ita wrote her statements voluntarily and under caution, without intimidation or coercion. He said she was informed of her right to have a lawyer present and was free to suspend the process until counsel arrived.
With the court’s approval, the prosecution played a video recording of the statement-taking session. Bello identified himself, another EFCC officer, and Oyo-Ita in the footage, noting that the former official appeared calm. The video was admitted in evidence without objection from the defence.
During cross-examination, defence counsel questioned the witness on aspects of the investigation, including bail arrangements and interviews with other defendants. Bello responded that he could not immediately recall some details but maintained that procedures were followed.After the witness was discharged, counsel to Oyo-Ita requested an adjournment to open the defence case in the trial-within-trial.Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to January 21, 2026, for continuation.Oyo-Ita and others are facing an 18-count charge involving alleged misappropriation, corruption, and money laundering of over ₦3 billion. The defendants have pleaded not guilty.
