The Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has admitted certified resolutions of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) board as evidence in the ongoing trial of the corporation’s former Managing Director, Ahmed Kuru, and other defendants over the receivership of Arik Air Limited.
Justice Mojisola Dada admitted the documents on Monday, ruling that they were relevant to the case and had been certified in accordance with Section 104 of the Evidence Act, 2011.
The resolutions were tendered by Uyi Giwa-Osagie, counsel to the second defendant, to challenge testimony suggesting that Kuru independently approved the appointment of a receiver for the airline.
The fourth prosecution witness, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, who heads the AMCON desk at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and led the investigation, had argued during cross-examination that Kuru possessed broad powers as AMCON’s managing director and chief executive officer and personally authorized the receivership.
Giwa-Osagie presented the board resolutions to show that the decision was taken by AMCON’s board as a corporate body rather than by Kuru acting alone.
Prosecution counsel Wahab Shittu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, opposed the admission of the documents, arguing that they were too remote from the charges and had no relevance to the issues before the court.
In response, Giwa-Osagie said his client was not being tried over whether the appointment of a receiver was proper, but over other allegations set out in the charge sheet. He maintained that the resolutions were central to the defence and could help establish his client’s innocence.
He also argued that the documents qualified as public records, had been duly certified and were properly presented to the court.
In her ruling, Justice Dada accepted the documents as evidence, stating that they originated from AMCON’s board and met the legal requirements for certification.
The EFCC had charged Kuru alongside Kamilu Omokide, the former receiver-manager of Arik Air; Captain Roy Ilegbodu, the airline’s chief executive officer; Union Bank Limited; and Super Bravo Limited over allegations linked to the airline’s receivership.
The prosecution followed a petition submitted by Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, on behalf of Arik Air’s promoters and shareholders.
The court adjourned the case until 27 October 2026 for the continuation of the trial.
