A witness on Friday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he received $12 million in cash for onward transfer to the accounts of businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, confirming suspicions of high-level money laundering allegedly facilitated by senior executives at SunTrust Bank.

The witness, a bureau de change operator, appeared as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the ongoing trial of the bank’s Managing Director, Halima Buba, and Chief Compliance Officer, Innocent Mbagwu. The duo are facing a six-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for their alleged role in the laundering scheme.

Led in evidence by EFCC lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness testified that between March 10 and 24, 2025, he received a total of $12 million in cash from Achimugu. The transactions were allegedly executed through SunTrust Bank’s Abuja and Lagos branches, but were conducted outside the formal banking system.

 “None of the money went through my account, even though he held both naira and dollar accounts with SunTrust Bank," the witness stated.

“It was on social media that I heard that Aisha Achimugu had been arrested, and I forwarded it to the first defendant,” he added.

The witness also disclosed that Achimugu, who owns Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas, separately gave him $1.8 million on other occasions for conversion into naira, in multiple tranches.

During cross-examination, defence counsel Johnson Usman (SAN) attempted to tender a series of documents, including extra-judicial statements, correspondence from SunTrust Bank, and account details, as evidence.

However, the prosecution objected on procedural grounds, arguing that the documents were not Certified True Copies (CTCs) as required under the Evidence Act. Oyedepo maintained that only officers of the EFCC or the bank could certify the materials, as they were the custodians of the originals.

 “There is no name of certified officer, no designation, no evidence of payment of certification fees. What the tendering party intends to do is turn my lord into a forensic expert,” Oyedepo argued.

Presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, after hearing both sides, adjourned the matter to October 16 and 17, 2025, for a ruling on the admissibility of the documents and the continuation of cross-examination.

The trial continues to draw attention as it involves high-ranking financial executives and a prominent businesswoman with close ties to the oil and gas sector.