A witness in the ongoing trial of former Minister of Power and Steel, Dr. Olu Agunloye, told a Federal High Court on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, that former President Olusegun Obasanjo allegedly instructed the minister to increase the budget for the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project by ₦11 billion.
The witness, Umar Babangida, an EFCC investigator, said the directive was intended to supplement the ₦6 billion already appropriated in the 2003 federal budget to support the commencement of the project.
Dr. Agunloye is standing trial before Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie at the Apo division of the Federal High Court on seven counts, including receiving gratification, conspiracy, forgery, and disobedience of a presidential directive. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Mambilla project, a multi‑billion‑dollar hydroelectric power initiative, had been in planning since 1981 and was awarded in 2003 after a competitive selection process.
Babangida testified that Obasanjo met privately with Agunloye and subsequently asked that ₦11 billion be added to the project budget, a decision later discussed at a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.
The FEC approved a memorandum regarding government participation in the project, although details of the financial adjustments and equity considerations were debated.
The court adjourned until February 2, 2026, for continued cross‑examination of the EFCC’s third prosecution witness.
The trial sheds light on alleged irregularities in federal project funding during the Obasanjo administration and continues to draw public attention due to the scale and strategic importance of the Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Project.
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