On Monday, Idi Musa, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified against social media celebrity Ismaila Mustapha, popularly known as Mompha, who faces charges of laundering ₦6 billion. Despite Mompha’s current fugitive status, the trial proceeds with his company, Ismalob Global Investment Ltd., also implicated in the eight-count indictment.

Mompha Remains Elusive as ₦6 Billion Fraud Case Continues

Musa, the sixth prosecution witness, recounted his encounter with Mompha and his company during the investigation, guided by EFCC counsel Suleiman Suleiman. Musa disclosed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had tipped off the EFCC in 2019 about Mompha and his company’s involvement in cybercrime in the United States.

“Sometimes in 2019, we received intelligence information from the FBI, USA, informing us that the first and second defendants were leading a cybercrime operation known as ‘yahoo yahoo’ in the USA,” Musa testified. He explained that the defendants were part of a syndicate operating between Nigeria and other countries, defrauding internet users.

EFCC Uncovers Over ₦30 Billion in Mompha’s Fidelity Bank Account

As the investigation progressed, the EFCC requested and analyzed account statements from Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank linked to Mompha and his company. The analysis revealed substantial transactions, including an inflow of ₦30 billion through Mompha’s Fidelity Bank account and about ₦5 billion in a Zenith Bank account.

Further correspondence with the FBI and the EFCC’s Special Fraud Unit indicated that Mompha falsely claimed to be involved in the Bureau De Change (BDC) business. Letters were also sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria and other relevant agencies as part of the investigation.

Musa stated that Mompha did not reside in Nigeria, complicating efforts to apprehend him. “A letter was written to the Nigeria Immigration Services on October 16, 2019, to arrest the defendant anytime he arrived in Nigeria,” he said. On October 18, 2019, upon learning that the EFCC was seeking him, Mompha attempted to flee the country but was arrested at the airport along with his belongings and handed over to the EFCC.

During the court proceedings, Musa reiterated the discovery of over ₦30 billion in Mompha’s Fidelity Bank account, debunking Mompha’s claim of operating a legitimate BDC business. The investigation concluded that Mompha was involved in money laundering and operating a BDC without a license, charges for which he is still on trial before Justice Emma of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi.

“The combination of the FBI and an investigative report on Mompha’s iPhone revealed that the device was used to send account details to a United Arab Emirates telephone number and to search for swift codes of a bank,” Musa testified. He added that during Mompha’s arrest, all seized properties were registered as exhibits at the EFCC office. Most items were eventually released to Mompha on bond, except his iPhone 8, which remained with the commission.

“All the items are proceeds of crime because when he was given an assets declaration form to declare his assets, he did not include those items,” Musa stated.

The prosecution, represented by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), presented two documents—Mompha’s statement and his asset declaration form—which were admitted into evidence and labeled exhibits P5 and P6.

Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case until October 8 for the continuation of the trial.