On Wednesday, a prosecution witness from the Department of State Services explained to the Federal High Court in Abuja how investigators examined Moses Oddiri's phone and Facebook account for allegedly defamatory posts directed at Ola Olukoyede, the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The first prosecution witness, Yusuf Adams, spoke before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. He identified himself as a DSS employee who was assigned to the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Department.
Adams informed the court that while looking into an EFCC petition, he became acquainted with the defendant.
He claims that on September 23, 2025, the anti-graft agency filed a petition with the DSS, accusing Oddiri of publishing and spreading false allegations on social media that Olukoyede embezzled more than ₦4 billion in royalties that were purportedly recovered by the commission and released by Heritage Operational Services Limited in favor of the Orogun Community in Delta State.
"My director gave my team and me instructions to look into the matter based on this," he stated.
According to the witness, Oddiri was taken to the DSS office for an interview after being arrested in Lagos on November 10, 2025.
He stated that the defendant gave a statement under duress and that the interview was audio-visually taped while a legal aid attorney was present.
Adams also informed the court that the team reviewed the defendant's Facebook page and downloaded several videos during the investigation, in which he allegedly accused the chairman of the EFCC of stealing and intercepting the ₦4 billion royalty payment intended for the Orogun Community.
According to him, detectives also requested bank and incorporation records from the Corporate Affairs Commission pertaining to community development organizations operating OML 30 in Delta State.
He claims that the team received copies of an admonition letter from the EFCC in response to a petition that the defendant had previously filed, which was sent to the Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom and charged the EFCC chairman.
He continued by saying that the DSS also examined a letter from the EFCC chairman's attorney, Wahab Shittu (SAN), requesting that the accusation be retracted.
Adams said, "We then submitted a preliminary report to our superior."
According to him, the service asked the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, which oversees the petroleum sector, for more information in response to the report's recommendations.
C.S. Orubor, the prosecution's attorney, had earlier told the court that the defendant's bail application and trial were scheduled to begin.
Orubor declared, "Our witness is in court, and we are prepared to move forward."
M. Adeniran, the defense attorney, objected to the trial starting, claiming he was unable to see his client and that he had remained in DSS custody.
Adeniran informed the court, "The defendant has been in detention, and we have not had access to him to enable him to brief us properly."
He insisted that moving forward with the trial would harm his client, claiming that the purported restriction of access hindered defense preparation.
The defendant also spoke to the court, claiming that his attorney had not received sufficient information about the case's circumstances.
However, the prosecution resisted the objection, claiming that the defense had been properly served with all pertinent materials.
"My learned friend's attempt to mislead the court is regrettable. All of the materials the prosecution plans to use have been served to him in full. Orubor stated, "He is aware of today's proceedings and was in court on the last adjourned date."
Justice Abdulmalik ordered the trial to start after verifying that the defense had received the charge and that it had been duly endorsed.
In order to continue the trial and consider the bail motion, the court then postponed it to March 13, 2026.
In accordance with Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024, Oddiri was charged with two counts that bordered on alleged cybercrimes.
According to the first count, the defendant used his Facebook handle, Moses Oddiri, to post a message that read, "This thieving EFCC Chairman Olukoyede, of over 4 billion naira Orogun oil community funds paid by Heritage Oil is also being reported to Heritage owners across the globe…" on or around September 17, 2025, in Surulere, Lagos State.
According to the prosecution, the defendant sent the message to irritate, inconvenience, insult, and harm the EFCC chairman even though they knew it contained false information.
The second claim concerns a purported letter allegedly issued in October 2025, in which the managing director of Heritage Energy Operational Services Limited and the chairman of the EFCC are accused of plotting to steal more than ₦4 billion from the indigenous residents of Delta State's Orogun oil-producing region.
According to Section 24(1) of the Cybercrimes Act of 2024, the offenses are against the law and are penalized by it.