Court to rule April 14 on $35m NCDMB document in Akintoye’s trial

The trial of Akindele Akintoye, Platforms Capital Investment Partners Limited, and Duport Midstream Company Limited continued on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, before Justice Ekerete Akpan of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The court has slated April 14, 2026, to rule on the admissibility of a document requested by Akintoye, the first defendant, related to the alleged acquisition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

The defendants are facing prosecution by the EFCC on an amended six-count charge, which alleges dishonesty and conversion of $35 million belonging to NCDMB.

During cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness, Isaac Yalah, counsel for the first and second defendants, E.O. Adekwu, SAN, had the witness confirm that a letter shown to him was a copy of a letter from Akintoye to NCDMB to acquire the board.

“I confirm the letter now shown to me is a copy of that letter from the first defendant to buy off NCDMB entirely,” Yalah testified.

However, prosecution counsel, E.E. Iheanacho, SAN, opposed the defence’s application to tender the document, arguing that it was a photocopy of a public document and not certified, citing Sections 89 and 102 of the Evidence Act, as well as previous rulings in Adeyefa v. Bamgboye (2013) and Onwuzuruike v. Edoziem (2016).

“We urge the court to discountenance it and dismiss it,” Iheanacho said.

In response, defence counsel argued that the document was now a private document and that the court had previously issued a subpoena dated November 19, 2025, directing NCDMB to produce it. He urged the court to admit the document on all legal grounds.

The prosecution maintained that the subpoena alone does not make the document admissible in evidence, noting that the witness was no longer a staff member of NCDMB and had not been served directly.

“We urge the court to reject the document,” Iheanacho added.

Justice Akpan adjourned the case to April 14, 2026, for ruling on the admissibility of the document, with May 18 and 19, 2026, set for continuation of cross-examination.