Emefiele: Police intelligence exposed $6.23m withdrawal from CBN – EFCC witness tells court
A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Eloho Okpoziakpo, has told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that intelligence gathering by police attached to the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) on the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)!revealed the $6.23m alleged cash withdrawal from the apex bank.
The witness said on Tuesday that withdrawal of the fund was purported for payment of foreign election observers who monitored the 2023 general elections.
Okpoziakpo, a Commissioner of Police who led the police team attached to the Jim Obazee led Special Investigation Panel that probed the activities of the CBN under Godwin Emefiele, said concrete steps were taken which eventually exposed how the alleged fraudulent fund withdrawal was carried out.
The police chief who testified for the EFCC in the trial of Emefiele for criminal breach of trust, confirmed to the court that the signatures of late President Muhammadu Buhari and that of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, were forged to perpetrate the alleged crime.
The witness did not however link Emefiele to the alleged fund withdrawal at the time the court adjourned and shifted further trial till July 2 and 3, 2026.
The police commissioner who was led in evidence in chief by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mr Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that the money was pulled out at the Abuja branch of CBN.
To facilitate the seamless withdrawal of the fund, the police chief said a letter from the SGF office was forged, purportedly conveying the approval of Buhari to the CBN for the release of the money.
He however testified that the SGF office disowned the letter in the course of the investigation.
The purported presidential approval, he said, was addressed to Emefiele and was honoured and acted upon, leading to the payment of the money to the culprits.
It was at this point that the trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu directed that further proceedings be shifted to July 2 and 3 due to his illness.
Although the head of the Special Investigation Panel and former Executive Officer, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), Jim Obazee, was billed to be in court on subpoena, the prosecution counsel announced that he could not be reached yet.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting Emefiele on an amended 20-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence to the tune of $ 6.23 million
Emefiele was, among others, alleged to have knowingly obtained by false pretence the sum of $6, 230, 000 purportedly meant for international election observers during the 2023 general election.
EFCC accused him of conferring corrupt advantages on two companies—April 1616 Nigeria Ltd and Architekon Nigeria Ltd.
He however, pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment.