Alex Enumah in Abuja
A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Okpoziakpo Eloho, on Thursday, admitted before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele did not benefit from the $6,230,000, fraudulently withdrawn from the apex bank.
Eloho, who testified as the 14th witness of the prosecution (PW14), made the admittance during cross examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr Mathew Burka, SAN.
The witness, a Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of Special Fraud Unit, Lagos, had earlier in his evidence narrated how he and three other police officers were deployed to assist Mr Jim Obaze, who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a Special Investigator, to investigate the CBN and other government business entities.
During his evidence-in-chief in April, the CP had disclosed that some suspects confessed to fraudulently withdrawing the sum of $6.23 million from the apex bank.
However, during cross examination on Thursday, Eloho admitted that there was no evidence that Emefiele benefitted from the loot either in cash or in transfer into his account by those who admitted stealing the money.
Emefiele is standing trial on a 20-count amended charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, procurement fraud as well as conspiring with some other persons to move from the apex bank the sum of $6,230,000, purportedly meant for international election observers for the 2023 general election.
In the charge marked: FCT/HC/CR/577/2023, he was also accused of forgery, abuse of office, as well as conferring corrupt advantages on two companies, April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd, while in office.
He however denied commiting the alleged offences and has since been admitted to bail.
At Thursday’s proceedings, the witness disclosed that Emefiele in the statement he made to the team of investigators denied ever giving approval and authorization for the release of the money to anybody.
He noted that the defendant also denied ever receiving any letter from the then Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha or acted on any such letter.
Responding to question about one Jibril Abubakar, who had appeared before his probe panel during investigation and admitted collecting the sum of $6.2 million from the Abuja branch of the CBN, Eloho admitted that none of those interviewed or investigated claimed that the defendant benefitted in one way or the other from the fraud.
He also disclosed that the said Jibril Abubakar although claimed to be a staff in the office of the SGF but, investigation later showed that he was never an employee in that office.
Meanwhile, he stated that he was not aware whether Abubakar is been tried in any law court, for his indictment in the $6.2 million fraud.
He also stated the same thing in respect of one Bashirudeen Maishanu, a staff of the CBN, who also confessed to the crime, adding that he would be shocked to hear that Maishanu was promoted by CBN despite admitting complicity in the $6.2 million fraudulent withdrawn from the CBN.
When confronted with series of exhibits especially correspondences exchanged during the processing, approval and release of the looted fund, the witness admitted that protocol was breached going by the hierarchy of the management of the apex bank, adding that under normal circumstances correspondence from CBN governor ought to go to the deputy governor and from there downwards.
“I recall that on December 13, 2023, we were at Kuje correctional center where the defendant made his statement in relation to his office on the $6.2 million.
“He was confronted with the issue of the money, his approval and authorization for the release of the money.
“In the process the defendant denied he did not sign for the approval or release of the money.
“The defendant also denied receiving any letter from SGF, he also stated that the signature on the documents that related to the approval and release of the money was not his”, the witness said.
On the forensic examination carried out by the EFCC on the signature of Boss Mustapha to verify the alleged forgery, the witness told the court that it would have been desirable to carry out similar forensic examination on Emefiele’s signature the way it was done to Boss Mustapha.
Meanwhile, the trial continues tomorrow.
