A Commissioner of Police testified on Tuesday that investigations into a fraudulent $6.23 million withdrawal from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revealed former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele approved the transaction.
Eloho E. Ekpoziakpho, testifying as Prosecution Witness 14 (PW14) before Justice Hamza Mu’azu at the FCT High Court in Abuja, provided the testimony during Emefiele’s ongoing trial.
The former governor is facing an amended 20-count charge involving criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, and conspiracy to obtain money by false pretense.
Ekpoziakpho, who leads the Special Fraud Unit in Lagos, stated that the investigation followed intelligence regarding the $6.23 million taken from the CBN’s Abuja branch.
He noted that while a document (Exhibit PD6) purportedly conveyed President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the funds to be paid to foreign election observers, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has denied requesting such a payment.
The witness identified several key pieces of evidence, including a memo from the CBN Director of Banking Services (Exhibit PD2) instructing the payment and details of the $6.23 million disbursement made on February 8, 2023 (Exhibit PD1).
Ekpoziakpho, who assisted special investigator Jim Obazee, testified that the investigation included interrogating suspects who confessed to their involvement.
The proceedings saw a legal challenge when defense counsel Matthew Burkaa, SAN, objected to the witness testifying on the documents under Section 128 of the Evidence Act.
Prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, countered that the documents had already been admitted and the witness was providing necessary oral explanation.
Justice Mu’azu ruled that the witness could be questioned on the documents but could not delve into their specific contents.
The trial has been adjourned to July 2 and 3, 2026.
