The absence of the National Coordinator of Multi-Sectional Crisis Recovery Projects, MCRP, North East Development Commission, NEDC, Danjuma Mohammed on Thursday, June 25, 2026 stalled his trial before Justice K. N. Ogbonnaya of the Federal Capital Territory, High Court, Zuba, Abuja.
Mohammed, the first defendant, is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alongside Prince Achem and Aminu Alhaji (at large) on amended 54-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, false pretence, fraud and forgery to the tune of N2.2 billion.
At Thursday`s proceedings, the EFCC’s counsel, Joshua Saidi informed the court that he got a letter from the counsel to the first defendant that his client will not be in court today due to a scheduled surgery.
“My lord, we got a letter yesterday from counsel to the first defendant that he is preparing to undergo a scheduled surgery. This is very frustrating because if they had informed us earlier, we wouldn’t have bordered on letting all these witnesses from Gombe, Borno and Katsina to come to court today. This is the third time these witnesses have come to court,” he said.
Counsel to the first defendant, M.S. Ibrahim, SAN, stated that the first defendant was unavoidably absent because of his diagnosis with a urinary problem in the hospital on June 18, 2026, which he said, required surgery. He further disclosed that he had made available a letter from the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja authenticating the diagnosis to the prosecution.
On his part, Counsel to the second defendant, J.J Usman, SAN, informed the court that although he was ready to go on with the cross-examination of the First Prosecution Witness, PW1, Kenneth Ejiofor Ifekudu, he was constrained not to proceed following the absence of the first defendant in court.
Justice Ogbonnaya adjourned the matter till July 13, 2026 for continuation of trial.
