The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, continued on Tuesday with fresh revelations linking a $6.23 million withdrawal to alleged fraudulent activities.
A prosecution witness, Commissioner of Police Eloho Edwin Okpoziakpo, told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that suspects involved in the case confessed to fraudulently withdrawing the funds.
Okpoziakpo gave his testimony before Justice Hamza Muazu at the Maitama division during the resumed hearing.
Emefiele is facing a 20-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, and conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence, filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He has, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Alleged False Justification For Withdrawal
According to the witness, the funds were allegedly withdrawn under the pretext of being meant for international election observers during the 2023 general elections.
However, investigations revealed that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation denied making any such request.
“We wrote to the office and they responded,” the witness told the court, confirming that no approval was sought from the office for such expenditure.
The court was presented with several exhibits, including:
A document requesting the release of the $6.23 million to Emefiele
A purported approval letter allegedly from former President Muhammadu Buhari dated January 24, 2023
Records of cash disbursement in $100 denominations dated February 8, 2023
The witness stated that these documents were recovered from the Abuja branch of the CBN.
Following the proceedings, Justice Muazu adjourned the case to July 2, 2026, for continuation of trial.
The case remains one of the high-profile corruption trials in Nigeria, drawing significant public and legal attention.
