A third prosecution witness in the trial of Musa Saliu Adekunle, an alleged Micro Finance Bank serial fraudster, told the court presided over by Justice Maurine A. Onyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, that the defendant was arrested with three mobile phones and a Point of Sale, POS machine used in defrauding several finance houses, including University of Uyo Micro Finance Bank.
The witness, Deputy Superintendent of the EFCC, Mubarak Isah, during his examination-in-chief, told the court that investigation letters were sent to Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company as well as MTN, and the responses received from the electricity distribution company confirmed that the meter number used by the accused and his accomplice in opening the accounts at Uniuyo MFB and other banks did not belong to the electricity company. He further stated that the MTN numbers linked to the Uniuyo and other MFB accounts were registered with names that did not belong to Adekunle or his cohorts.
Adekunle was first arraigned by the Commission on July 18, 2025, on five-count charges bordering on money laundering, obtaining by false pretence and conspiracy. While taking his plea before Justice Onyetenu, he pleaded ‘not guilty’, setting the stage for his trial and remand at the State Correctional Centre in Uyo.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Prosecution counsel, Joshua Abolarin, further tendered various exhibits through the witness, including the petition from Uniuyo MFB for over N9million fraud, and another petition submitted at the Benin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, from Avuenegbe Microfinance Bank, located at Auchi in Edo State, also against Adekunle and his accomplices.
Other exhibits tendered by the prosecution, which were admitted in evidence by the court, include three mobile phones and a Moniepoint POS machine recovered from Adekunle at the time of his arrest, and responses received by the Commission from eight different financial institutions confirming the alleged criminal footprints of the accused and members of his syndicate.
Earlier, during the course of the trial, defence counsel, Savn Daniel, had served the prosecution a motion on notice dated March 9, 2026, seeking the bail of the defendant. But the court adjourned to June 16, 2026, for motions and cross-examination of the third prosecution witness.
One of the charges against Adekunle reads: “That you, Salihu Adekunle Musa (A.K.A. Mr Igboabuchi) ‘M’ Adebayo Taiwo Naheem (now at large), MRS IGBOABUCHI CHINONSO HAPPINESS (now at large) and ANUOLUWAPO VICTORIA ONIBOKUN (now at large), on or sometime in February, 2024 in Akwa Ibom State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did conspire among yourselves did conspire among yourselves to commit offences to wit; Obtaining Property by False Pretence and Money Laundering, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act”
