The ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, appeared as a key witness at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja.
Emefiele, facing twenty-one amended counts including criminal breach of trust, corrupt benefits, conspiracy, forgery, and acquiring money under false pretenses totaling $6,230,000, stands accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme involving impersonation of the SGF to unlawfully obtain funds.
In his testimony as Prosecution Witness 2, Mustapha provided crucial insights into the alleged fraudulent transactions. He revealed that during his tenure, which concluded in May 2023, he had no knowledge of the contested transaction, asserting that the document in question did not originate from the office of former President Muhammadu Buhari, under whom he served for five years and seven months.
This revelation casts doubt on the authenticity of the purported documents linking Emefiele to the fraudulent activities.
The prosecution’s case against Emefiele gained further momentum with the testimony of Onyeka Ogbu, the Deputy Director of Branch Operations at the CBN, who detailed how Emefiele approved the disbursement of $6.2 million for international election observers during the 2023 general election.
However, Mustapha raised significant concerns regarding the legitimacy of the payments, emphasizing that such financial transactions fall outside the purview of the Federal Government’s responsibilities.
Moreover, Mustapha highlighted glaring inconsistencies in the correspondence purportedly from President Buhari, challenging the authenticity of the signature and disputing the formal tone used.
He contended that Federal Executive Council decisions are not conveyed via letters, raising further doubts about the credibility of the evidence presented against Emefiele.
As the trial progresses, the spotlight remains firmly on Emefiele, whose reputation as a former CBN governor is under scrutiny amidst these damning allegations of fraud and corruption
