Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria — The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele took a dramatic turn on Thursday as a police investigator testified that the $6.23 million released under his instruction for a foreign election observer mission was not only fraudulent but "pure theft" designed to enrich unknown persons, with just $800,000 recovered so far.
The 14th Prosecution Witness, Commissioner of Police Okpoziakpo Eloho of the Force Headquarters Fraud Unit, told Justice H. Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that the money was approved and released without following due process, and that the stated purpose was merely a cover for a sophisticated scheme to steal public funds. Led in evidence by prosecution counsel and Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness said: "The entire money was released. We saw the approval of the governor. The purpose was simply to steal. It was pure theft. It was stolen, otherwise obtained under false pretence."
The witness identified a document, marked Exhibit PD5, which he said was a presidential directive on the Foreign Election Observer Mission. However, he told the court that the findings of his investigative team revealed that the document was a fabrication. "Our finding with regards to PD5 is that it is all fraud," he declared. He added that the money was released with no further details attached, a procedural breach that further pointed to the fraudulent nature of the transaction.
On a positive note, Eloho disclosed that the investigative team was able to recover about $800,000 of the stolen funds, though he admitted he could not remember the exact figure. "I can't remember the figure but it was about Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars," he said. The witness further testified that the person who collected the $6.23 million was one Jibril Abubakar, whose identity card was examined during the investigation. However, he revealed that the staff ID card number did not belong to Abubakar, and that he was not a staff member of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. "That is what the investigation revealed," Eloho stated.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, Mathew Burka, SAN, the witness affirmed that Emefiele, as CBN governor, had dominion over the bank's funds. However, when asked whether due process was followed in the release of the funds, Eloho replied in the negative. "This document is from the governor to the Director Banking Services. Protocol was not followed. I presume that the procedure would have been for the document to follow through the deputy governor," he explained. The witness also disclosed that a special investigator interviewed Boss Mustapha, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and that Mustapha denied ownership of the signature on Exhibit PD6, further undermining the authenticity of the documents used to justify the release.
The trial continues on Friday, July 3, 2026, with Justice Muazu adjourning the matter for further hearing. Emefiele, who served as CBN governor from 2014 until his suspension in 2023, faces multiple charges bordering on fraud, theft, and abuse of office.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments