In a stunning turn of events at the Abuja High Court, Michael Onyeka Ogbu, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Deputy Director and Head of the Service Delivery Division, claimed that Godwin Emefiele, the troubled former Governor of the CBN, had never given him the go-ahead to give $6,230,000 to foreign election observers prior to the general election of 2023.
Ogbu, while vehemently upholding the transaction’s integrity, asserted that there was no fraud involved to the best of his knowledge. He maintained that a staff member in the Secretary to the Government of the Federation’s office was the intended recipient of the disputed monies.
The conspiracy, however, became more complicated when Mr. Boss Mustapha, the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), denied any involvement of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration or his office in the controversial transaction. In his testimony during Emefiele’s alleged $6.2 million fraud trial, Mustapha vehemently denied having any part in the aforementioned transaction.
During his time as the Governor of CBN, Emefiele was charged with criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, and getting money by false pretence. The updated charge consists of twenty counts. The accusations are based on statements made by Special Investigator Mr. Jim Obazee, who claimed to have seen Emefiele and Mustapha handle $6.2 million in cash that was taken out of the CBN vault in video footage.
The Federal Government subsequently amended the criminal charge based on Obazee’s findings, leading to a trial before Justice Hamza Muazu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Testifying on Monday, Ogbu detailed the payment process, noting that the $6.2 million was disbursed to Jibrin Abubakar, nominated by the Office of the SGF to collect the funds intended for foreign election observers. Ogbu defended the transaction, stating that it was not fraudulent, and emphasized the efforts made to recover the money.
Under cross-examination, Ogbu reiterated that the funds were released based on documented approvals by former President Buhari and Emefiele. He highlighted that the payment was made with the understanding that it would be refunded, and efforts were made to recover the funds.
Ogbu clarified the hierarchy within the CBN, noting that he did not report directly to the CBN governor. He repeated that Emefiele had not given him instructions to approve the payment and stressed that it was unusual for the governor to write to him directly.
More disclosures and cross-examinations during the trial are expected to provide a window into the intricate network around the alleged $6.2 million scam. Follow along for developments on this well-known case that is still gaining national attention.
