A forensic analyst with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Muktar Bello, yesterday, explained how the agency was using mobile phones to track oil theft, a booming business in the country.
Bello is also a witness in the ongoing trial of Joseph Amaechi and 13 others, in a case of illicit oil bunkering before an Abuja high court.
He used the data extracted from the suspects’ phones and demonstrated to the satisfaction of the court that the accused were deeply involved in the stealing of a large quantity of oil last month.
Led in evidence by counsel to EFCC, Austin Emumejakpor, Bello told the court that he conducted an examination by using a computer running on Microsoft operating system, with a forensic extraction device commonly used by law enforcement agencies, to harvest information from mobile devices.
In his ruling, Justice Evoh Chukwu stated that a certified true copy of any document is admissible in evidence and accordingly admitted same as exhibit.
He adjourned the case to June 24 for further hearing.
Bello told the court that the device has an in-built mechanism that protects the integrity of the data extracted and automatically transferred to a computer.
However, the defence counsel, Rotimi Ojo, contested the admissibility of the document, which the prosecution sought to tender as exhibit on the grounds that the document was fake.
Emumejakpor urged the court to discountenance the objection, as the document had been duly certified in line with the provisions of the law.