3 hours ago
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A former Secretary at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. John Ogah, on Wednesday, told the Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, how the former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, allegedly directed payment of money into his niece’s bank account.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Emefiele alongside one Henry Omoile for alleged abuse of office.
The duo were docked on a three-count charge bordering on unlawful acceptance of gifts by agents.
The EFCC also accused Emefiele of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud while in office.
Ogah, the sixth prosecution witness, was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), on Wednesday.
He said one Hannah Emefiele is the ex-CBN governor’s niece.
The witness told the court that he instructed an account officer to pay money into Hannah’s bank account at the directive of Emefiele.
Ogah said all emails he sent to the bank account officer and instructions given were as directed by Emefiele.
He said: “I have the instructions of my boss to send the emails to the account officer, and all the instructions he gave were carried out.
“Hannah Emefiele is a niece to my boss.
“Hannah is one the beneficiaries of the fund because my boss gave instructions through emails which I forwarded to the account officer.”
Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), however, queried the witness for mentioning Hannah’s name.
He argued that Hannah’s name was not mentioned anywhere in the charge.
The counsel also claimed that EFCC included the name in the course of giving evidence.
In his response, Oyedepo argued that although Hannah was not mentioned in the charge, she was alleged to have benefitted from the proceeds of the alleged fraud.
“The name came up because some of the proceeds are traceable to some of the relatives of the first defendant,” he said.
During cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, the witness told the court that he was keeping records while working as Emefiele’s secretary.
He said the records were for reference purposes.
Ojo asked the witness if he showed the records to EFCC.
The witness said he did not show any documents to EFCC.
He stated that 99 percent of the instructions he received from Emefiele were not in writing.
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