The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that a lawyer linked to the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was arrested with more than $2 million allegedly belonging to the former apex bank chief.
An EFCC investigator, David Jaiyeoba, disclosed this while testifying as the 12th prosecution witness in the ongoing corruption trial of Emefiele before Justice Hamza Muazu.
Emefiele is standing trial on 20 amended counts bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery, procurement fraud and obtaining by false pretence during his tenure as CBN governor.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the witness told the court that the lawyer, Collins Omeife, was arrested with $2,045,000 in cash during investigations into alleged illicit assets linked to the former CBN governor.
Jaiyeoba said the lawyer admitted during interrogation that the cash belonged to Emefiele and was delivered to him through the former governor’s personal assistant, Eric Ocheme.
According to the witness, Omeife told investigators that the funds were often handed to him to purchase properties and finance renovation works on several assets linked to Emefiele.
“He said the cash belonged to the defendant who sent Mr Eric (Ocheme) to deliver it,” the EFCC operative told the court.
The witness added that the lawyer also confirmed he had previously received additional sums from the defendant, some of which had already been spent on property development projects.
Jaiyeoba further informed the court that part of the recovered $2 million was meant for the renovation of a four-bedroom duplex located at 12A Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
He listed other properties allegedly connected to the former CBN governor to include a detached duplex at 17B Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, a bungalow and undeveloped land on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi, and eight units of undetached apartments on Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi.
Also mentioned were a detached duplex on Bank Road, Ikoyi, and an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State.
The EFCC had earlier secured a final forfeiture order on some of the properties, but the Court of Appeal in Lagos later set aside the order and directed a fresh hearing.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the prosecution also tendered Emefiele’s extra-judicial statement through the witness. Defence counsel Matthew Burkaa (SAN) reserved his objection, while the court admitted the document in evidence.
The commission also presented the account statement of Architekon Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly linked to Emefiele’s wife and brother-in-law.
Jaiyeoba told the court that the statement revealed over ₦350 million inflow from the CBN between 2020 and 2022.
He said Emefiele’s brother-in-law, MacCombo Omoile, confirmed that the payments were proceeds from contracts executed for the apex bank, including the renovation of the CBN governor’s residence in Lagos and facilities for the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending across the country.
The witness also recalled that investigations began after a report by an inter-agency task force led by the State Security Service, which uncovered cash recoveries and assets allegedly linked to the former CBN governor.
Earlier in the trial, another prosecution witness had testified that $6.23 million was withdrawn from the CBN vault in February 2023 under the guise of payments to foreign election observers.
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had also told the court that the signatures used to authorise the withdrawal of the funds were forged, including that of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Emefiele, who was removed from office in June 2023, has denied all allegations levelled against him.
Justice Muazu subsequently adjourned the case until March 16 for continuation of trial.
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