My Errand Boy Defrauded Me – Titi Atiku

Mrs Titi Atiku, wife of former Vice-President Abubakar Atiku, told an Ikeja High Court that Akpan-Jacobs, the pastor, who allegedly defrauded her of N918 million was her “errand boy”.

Titi made this claim while being cross-examined on Wednesday by Mr Amos Ibe, the defence counsel to Akpan-Jacobs.

“I paid N49 million for the land used as the premises of THA Shipping, my partner Fred Holmes never contributed to the buying of the land but he contributed to the building of the property.”

“The N49 million was given to Akpan-Jacobs to purchase the land, but did not know who he bought the land from.”

“He never contributed a dime, he was just like an errand boy,” Atiku said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Akpan-Jacobs with a 14-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraudulent conversion of property worth N918 million belonging to THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd.

THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd, a company created in 2000, is owned by Atiku, Akpan-Jacobs and Fred Holmes, her German business partner.

Atiku was alleged to be the majority shareholder with 49 per cent shares, while Holmes and Akpan-Jacobs each had 25 per cent shares.

Akpan-Jacobs, who also doubled as the company’s Managing Director and Secretary, was alleged to have gone to the Corporate

Affairs Commission (CAC) to alter the share holding in his favour and forged the company’s board resolutions.

He allegedly allotted 70 per cent shares to himself and 15 per cent shares each to Titi and Holmes.

According to the EFCC, welding a fraudulent shareholding power, Akpan-Jacobs sold a property belonging to the company to Dana Motors Nigeria Ltd for N918 million.

The property is located at Plot C63 A, Amuwo-Odofin Commercial Layout along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Lagos.

Responding to Atiku’s claim that Akpan Jacobs was her errand boy, Ibe asked: “He was made a Managing Director (MD), how can an errand boy be made an MD ?

“He was made an MD to stand in for Mr Fred Holmes because Holmes had not resigned from his job.

“When it was time for Akpan to step down as the MD, he refused because by then he had perfected his fraudulent acts.”

The wife of ex-VP denied Ibe’s claims that Akpan-Jacobs owned and promoted THA Shipping Maritime Services Ltd and only

brought her on board to bring in big briefs and clients.