PUNCH
The trial of the immediate-past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, continued on Tuesday with a banker, Mrs Ifeoma Ogbonaya, telling the court that the ex-CBN helmsman abused his office by awarding CBN contracts to his personal firms.
Emefiele is standing trial, alongside one Henry Omoile, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja.
In the 26 counts filed against him, Emefiele was accused of abuse of office and illegal allocation of $4.5bn, N2.8bn while he was CBN governor.
Ogbonna, who is the fifth prosecution witness, told the court on Tuesday that she never had any dealings with the ex-CBN governor but that she was receiving instructions from his wife, Mrs Margaret Emefiele, to transfer cash from CBN into their private company’s account.
She said apart from Mrs Emefiele she also received instructions from two other persons, Mr John Ogah and Mr Opeyemi Oludimu, who worked for the Emefiele.
The witness, who was led in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), told the court how she received the instructions via her official email, and other times through phone calls or WhatsApp.
She told Justice Oshodi that the companies that received the cash flow from CBN were Limelight Multidimensional Ltd, Kome Support Services Ltd; Ansbaswin Resources Ltd; and Mago Farm.
The witness testified that it was one Emmanuel who opened the accounts for Emefiele’s companies but that it was taken over by a new set of signatories in 2021.
She said the two signatories to the accounts are Mr Stephen and Mrs Patricia but that all transfer instructions that came to that account were instructed by Mrs Emefiele.