A prosecution witness on yesterday told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Gwarimpa, Abuja, that a contract for the renovation of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) office in Makurdi was awarded to a company that did not participate in the bidding process.
The witness, Pedro Torwuese Chellen, testified as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the trial of a former Governor of Anambra State and former Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige.
The case is being heard before Justice M.A. Hassan.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, Chellen, an entrepreneur and project manager of Imanil Haq Nigeria Limited, told the court that the contract, valued at N80 million, was improperly awarded.
He said his company participated in the bidding process after the contract was advertised but later discovered that the company which eventually won the contract did not submit any bid.
According to him, his company petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its lawyers after discovering the irregularity.
“I was invited by the EFCC, where my statements were taken,” Chellen told the court.
The petition and supporting bid documents were tendered in evidence and admitted as Exhibit P1.
The witness further explained that after losing the bid, he wrote to the management of NSITF requesting details of the contract award, but received no response.
He said he then escalated the matter to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), where he was informed that the contract had been awarded to a company that did not participate in the bidding process.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, P.I.N. Ikwueto, SAN, the witness disclosed that his petition was directed against the management board of NSITF.
He also alleged that the contract title was later changed from “Renovation of Makurdi Office” to “Construction of Makurdi Office” and that the contract sum was increased from N80 million to N120 million.
While admitting that he made his statement to the EFCC in 2023, Chellen said he believed there was “massive corruption” in the NSITF.
He also told the court that although he never attended any NSITF board meeting, he later learned from the media that the board had been reconstituted.
Justice Hassan adjourned the case until January 29, 2026, for continuation of hearing.
