The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Godwin Emefiele, took a dramatic turn on Monday as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission presented evidence alleging that forged presidential authorisations were used to facilitate a $6.23 million withdrawal from the apex bank.
Testifying before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, EFCC Assistant Commander II, Chinedu Eneanya, told the court that signatures attributed to former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, were falsified to enable the release of the funds.
Eneanya, who appeared as the 13th prosecution witness, said investigations showed the money was withdrawn under the pretext of funding foreign election observers for the 2023 general elections.
“The investigation revealed that the money, $6.2 million, was removed from the coffers of the CBN for a purported funding of foreign observers for the 2023 elections,” he told the court.
According to him, forensic analysis later confirmed that the signatures of both Buhari and Mustapha on documents authorising the release were forged.
The witness further disclosed that five officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria approved the internal memo that facilitated the disbursement, though none of them is currently standing trial alongside Emefiele.
Emefiele is facing a 20-count amended charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy, abuse of office, and obtaining money by false pretence in suit marked FCT/HC/CR/577/2023.
The former CBN governor, however, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During cross-examination, defence counsel, Mathew Burkaa, SAN, challenged the integrity of the investigation, drawing attention to the absence of forensic examination on Emefiele’s signature, despite his claim that it was also forged.
Eneanya admitted that no such forensic test was conducted on the defendant’s signature.
The witness also told the court that he did not personally obtain Emefiele’s extra-judicial statements, and could not confirm any direct financial benefit to the former CBN governor.
He added that although a lawyer, Ifeanyi Omeke, allegedly claimed to have received money on behalf of Emefiele, he did not investigate the assertion further.
Proceedings were briefly stalled by legal arguments over the prosecution’s handling of witnesses, with defence counsel accusing the EFCC of delaying the trial.
“We understand their strategy. It seems they are ridiculing the court. All the same, we are ready to go on,” Burkaa said.
He further urged the court to foreclose the prosecution’s case if it failed to produce its remaining witnesses at the next adjourned date.
“If the witnesses do not come on April 28, we apply that they should be foreclosed. Justice is both for the prosecution and the defendant.
“This is an antic by the prosecution to put maximum hardship on the defendant. Please let it be on record that the prosecution has severally brought out this scenario,” he added.
In response, prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, said the EFCC had no intention of delaying proceedings, noting that some witnesses were yet to be served subpoenas and were currently outside the court’s jurisdiction.
“I am not here to be a clog in the expeditious trial of the case,” he said, urging the court to reject the defence application.
Presiding judge, Hamza Muazu, advised both parties to reserve their arguments for final addresses and directed the prosecution to ensure the issuance of subpoenas.
Justice Muazu subsequently adjourned the case till April 28 for continuation of trial.
