Court orders investigation into alleged evidence tampering in N10 billion fraud case
The Federal High Court in Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate alleged tampering with critical evidence in a N10 billion fraud case.
Justice J. K. Omotosho gave the directive on Thursday, following revelations that his court Registrar, Nasiru Onimisi Zubairu, and the second defendant in the case, Daudu Sulaiman, may have interfered with exhibits in the matter.
The judge disclosed that Zubairu admitted approaching him after Sulaiman allegedly requested the use of a code to delete key messages from WhatsApp chats stored on a phone submitted as evidence in the case. Justice Omotosho played Zubairu’s confession in open court and asked him to detail what transpired.
Zubairu told the court that Sulaiman promised him housing assistance in exchange for deleting certain messages. “I was asked to delete some WhatsApp messages in the exhibits on the promise that I would be given a house,” he said.
The court also heard from Muhammed Audu Abubakar, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operative, who confirmed that multiple chats contained in Exhibits N and O, spanning from 2020 to 2022, had been deleted. Abubakar identified specific instances of missing messages, including communications on large cash transfers and dates critical to the investigation.
Director of Public Prosecution, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, told the court that the deletions raised serious concerns about the integrity of the evidence. He urged the court to order a forensic investigation of Exhibit N and consider revoking the defendant’s bail.
The defence counsel expressed shock at the revelation but requested that the court await the outcome of the forensic investigation before taking further action.
Justice Omotosho subsequently ordered the Police and DSS to investigate the matter and adjourned the case to February 9, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
