“I Delivered $400,000 to Emefiele on Instruction,” Witness Tells Court

During the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, a prosecution witness, John Adetola, testified on Thursday before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja, revealing that he delivered $400,000 to Emefiele on instructions from the former governor’s aide.

Adetola, who served as Emefiele’s Executive Assistant, explained to Justice Rahman Oshodi that in 2018, he was directed by Emefiele’s former Personal Assistant, Eric Odoh Ocheme, to collect the money from John Ayoh, a former Director of Information Technology at the CBN, and deliver it to Emefiele in Lagos.

“In 2018, I cannot recall the exact date, Mr. Eric Odoh Ocheme sent me a message on WhatsApp instructing me to collect $400,000 from John Ayoh and deliver it to the former CBN Governor when he arrived in Lagos,” Adetola said. “I went to John Ayoh’s house in Lekki, Lagos. He handed me an envelope, and I returned to the office to give it to the former CBN Governor.”

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Herry Omoile, face a 26-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including allegations of gratification, corruption, and fraudulent property receipt. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The trial will resume on December 10 for further proceedings.