By Nkechi Eze
A prosecution witness on Monday, January 19, 2026, told a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja how a former member of the House of Representatives, Aliyu Ibrahim Gebi, allegedly issued him 14 dud cheques valued at N125 million in connection with a friendly loan.
The witness, Mustapha Usman, who testified as the First Prosecution Witness (PW1) before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, narrated his account while being led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN. The testimony was disclosed in an official statement issued by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale.
According to PW1, he was introduced to the defendant through Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, who was then a member of the House of Representatives. He told the court that in 2011, Gebi approached Honourable Ahmed for a friendly loan of N125 million, which was granted.
“I was present when the defendant wrote an undertaking to repay the loan within 60 days without interest,” the witness said. He added that upon the expiration of the agreed period, the defendant failed to repay the loan, prompting further engagement over the outstanding sum.
PW1 told the court that the defendant later issued him 14 cheques totalling N125.5 million, explaining that the additional N500,000 was given to the defendant as part payment for a proposed trip abroad after he claimed he was expecting funds from the United States of America. The witness said he opted to give N500,000 instead of the N1 million requested, in order to reduce his risk.
He further stated that some of the cheques were issued from the account of Craft Technology Ltd, while others were drawn directly from the defendant’s personal account. All the cheques, he said, were issued in favour of his company, Musty Petroleum Limited.
“When I presented the cheques to UBA, they were returned unpaid,” the witness told the court. He explained that he was informed that the accounts were not funded, adding that both the company and personal accounts of the defendant lacked sufficient funds.
PW1 said he repeatedly approached the defendant for repayment but was met with assurances that were not fulfilled. He told the court that he eventually petitioned the EFCC, after which the defendant began making payments in instalments.
According to the witness, the defendant initially paid N20 million, followed by another N34 million, and continued making staggered payments. He added that the last payment before the previous court sitting was N12 million, credited about two weeks earlier.
He further told the court that during the last hearing on December 18, 2025, the defendant claimed he had fully repaid the debt, a claim he disputed. “He later checked his records and paid the outstanding balance of N10.5 million the same day after leaving the court,” the witness said.
During the proceedings, a letter of undertaking dated December 19, 2011, was tendered and admitted in evidence as Exhibit PW1a. The 14 cheques dated January 12, 2012, were also admitted and marked as Exhibits PW1b to PW1xiv, while the petition to the EFCC dated September 13, 2012, was admitted as Exhibit PW1e.
Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the matter till January 21, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Gebi was initially arraigned on January 29, 2013, before Justice Abba Mohammed of the Federal Capital Territory High Court on a 13-count charge. Following Justice Mohammed’s elevation to the Court of Appeal, the case was subsequently reassigned to Justice Onwuegbuzie.
