In the ongoing trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, which proceeded on Thursday before Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
A forensic analyst affirmed that the documents used to request a $6.2 million payment for foreign election observers were counterfeit. Bamaiyi Meriga, called as a witness by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), informed the court that upon forensic examination of the contested documents, he detected clear evidence of signature forgery, and noted disparities in the execution seal compared to the original.
The analyst further verified that the signatures did not match those of former President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-Secretary General of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha. Both documents, titled “Presidential Directive on Foreign Observer Election,” were presented as evidence and accepted by the trial judge, Justice Muazu.
During cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Meriga clarified that he was not employed by the EFCC and was not compensated by the agency; rather, his salary was managed by the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Emefiele’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa, expressed dissatisfaction with the witness’s behavior, accusing him of evading questions and misleading the court. In response, the Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, criticized the defense counsel’s stance. The trial has been adjourned until March 11 for further proceedings.
