The trial of the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, took an unexpected turn as a prosecution witness, Mr. John Ayoh, admitted to demanding and receiving bribes from contractors. Ayoh, a retired Director from the IT Department of the CBN, made this admission during cross-examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, SAN. Emefiele is facing a 23-count charge of abuse of office and fraud amounting to $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion, to which he pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.
During the trial presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court in Lagos, Emefiele’s legal team challenged the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the matter involved foreign exchange, which falls under the Exclusive List of the constitution. The judge granted Emefiele permission to file an appeal against this decision at the appellate court, deferring ruling on the jurisdictional issue.
At the recent trial session, the prosecution led by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, presented three witnesses, including Mr. Victor Onyejuiwa, managing director of Source Computers Limited, and Mr. Clement Ngolu, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank Plc. Onyejuiwa testified that he was coerced by Ayoh into making payments for contracts executed at the CBN, while Ngolu affirmed that Zenith Bank complied with requests from law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, to furnish statements of accounts related to the case.
Under cross-examination, Ayoh admitted to receiving bribes but failed to establish any connection between Emefiele and the corrupt activities. He expressed dissatisfaction with his relationship with Emefiele, stating that he felt sidelined by the former CBN governor due to lack of popularity.
The trial also saw the admission of several documents into evidence, including Zenith Bank account opening packages and statements of account related to the case. The defence did not pose any questions to Ngolu, the Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank.
The case has been adjourned to Friday, May 17, 2024, for further proceedings. Emefiele was arraigned by the EFCC on April 8 on charges ranging from abuse of office to corrupt practices, while his co-defendant faces charges related to accepting gifts.
