The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has presented a video showing former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, calmly writing her confessional statement during interrogation in 2019.
The video was tendered on 30 June 2025 before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja, during a trial-within-trial to determine if the statement was made voluntarily or under duress.
EFCC’s lead witness, Chief Superintendent Hamma Adama Bello, told the court that the footage proves Oyo-Ita was not threatened or coerced, as she had earlier claimed.
Oyo-Ita is facing serious charges alongside her aides, Ugbong Effiok and Garba Umar, and six companies, over the alleged diversion of more than ₦3 billion. The EFCC accuses the defendants of using fake contracts, kickbacks, and abuse of duty tour allowances and estacodes to siphon public funds.
Investigators say over ₦124 million was traced to Frontline Ace Global Services, a company linked to Oyo-Ita, while ₦600 million was found in an aide’s account.
The court adjourned the case to 14 and 16 October 2025, when it will decide whether or not to admit the confessional statements as valid evidence.
The case is part of EFCC’s ongoing efforts to tackle high-level corruption in Nigeria’s public service.
