A witness in the on-going trial of a former Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema at the Federal High Court, Nasiru Salisu Ingawa, has made a contradictory statement in his evidence before the court.
Earlier, in his evidence before the court, he had alleged inflation of contracts sum by the defendant, but during cross-examination, he admitted that there was no evidence or proof to show that any contract was inflated or not executed.
He further said in his statement before the court that he did not at anytime take money to the former governor during his tenure as the special adviser to the former governor on SURE-P.
During the cross-examination of the witness, defendant counsel, Sebastine Hon (SAN), asked, “From all the documents tendered as exhibits, there is nothing to show that any contract was inflated or not executed or any money taken by you to the defendant?”
In his response, the witness said, “Yes my lord, no document or evidence.”
When asked further, if due process was followed in awarding the contracts from the documents tendered to the court, the witness responded, “Yes my lord, the documents show due process was followed.”
Hon also asked, “Contracts were executed and items delivered to the store of Sure P based on documents tendered as exhibits.”
Again, Nasiru Ingawa responded, “Yes, my lord!”
The witness, who said he was the chief accounting officer of SURE-P, also admitted that all the memos for the contracts awarded were authored by him and not the defendant.
The prosecution counsel led by O. I. Uket, however, applied for the adjournment of the trial to allow re-examination of the witness after the defendant closed his cross-examination of the witness.
Although, the trial judge, Justice Hadiza Rabiu Shagari, frowned upon the application for adjournment, she adjourned the case to April 23 and 24 for re-examination and continuation of trial.
