Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, March 21, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Wife of former Vice President of Nigeria, Hajiya Titi Akiku is on the verge of losing N918 million in investments to her partners in THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.
THA Shipping Maritime Services is a joint venture company formed in 2000 by Titi Atiku, Akpan-Jacobs(MD) and Fred Holmes both working for Julius Berger at that time.
Atiku who was testifying before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye told the court that Akpan-Jacobs, who doubled as the company’s managing director and secretary allegedly went to the Corporate Affairs Commission where he altered the share arrangement in his favour.
The share ownership structure of the company she said was hitherto 49, 25, 25 with herself as majority shareholder.
Mrs. Atiku alleged that the defendants forged the company’s board resolution re-distributing the share ownership giving himself 70 per cent, 15 per cent to Mrs. Atiku and 15 per cent to Holmes.
“With the share re-distribution, Akpan Jacobs assumed full ownership of THA Shipping and subsequently sold the company property worth N918m to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd”, she said.
Atiku who told the court she bears various names did not agree with counsel to one of the defendants that she was not a reliable person.
“I will not agree with you, I am Florence, I’m Dorego, I’m Titi, I’m Amina, I bear all the names, you cannot come and ridicule me here, I would not have you do that to me, these two gentlemen defrauded me and sold my property.” Atiku said.
Nsikakabasi Akpan-Jacobs, Abdulmalik Ibrahim and Dana Motors were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of a Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on a 15 count bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.
Earlier in the Tuesday’s proceedings, the 3rd defendant who was not represented told the court that he wants to change his counsel because he suspects that his counsel had a cordial relationship with Atiku or had been bought by her. Ipaye adjourned till March 22, 2017 for continuation of trial.
