A Deputy Director responsible for Branch Operations at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Onyeka Ogbu, testified in the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that he was informed about a request for a $6.2 million payment intended for international election observers.
Mr. Ogbu, serving as the prosecution’s first witness, stated that the request was made on January 8, 2023.
He stated that after reviewing the associated documents, he granted approval for the disbursement, which was then executed accordingly.
Although all documents were accounted for, certain pages were found to be missing. As a result, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, requested a temporary adjournment to address the absence of these pages.
However, Emefiele’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa, objected to the adjournment, arguing that the prosecution must rely solely on the evidence provided by the documents.
He suggested that an adjournment would be more suitable to allow the prosecution to obtain all the certified true copies of the documents and for the witness to undergo cross-examination.
Following their arguments, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned the trial until Tuesday for further proceedings.
Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the bank, is facing trial on amended charges, including criminal conspiracy, conferring undue advantage, and breach of trust, among others, filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He stands accused of impersonating the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to unlawfully obtain a sum of $6.2 million.
