On Tuesday, a Zenith Bank manager testified in the Ikeja Special Offences Court about how former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, allegedly used his companies to secure contracts from the CBN.
Emefiele, who faces 26 charges of abuse of office and misuse of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion, is on trial alongside his co-defendant, Henry Omoile. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting the case before Justice Rahman Oshodi.
Mrs. Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, the Business Relationship Manager at Zenith Bank, testified as the fifth prosecution witness. She explained that while she did not interact directly with Emefiele, she followed instructions from his wife, Margaret Emefiele, to transfer money from CBN to Emefiele’s private company accounts.
“I never dealt with Mr. Emefiele directly. I received instructions from Mrs. Margaret Emefiele via email, phone calls, and WhatsApp to transfer funds from CBN to accounts for Limelight Multidimensional Limited, Kome Support Services Limited, Ansbaswin Resources Limited, and Magofarm,” Ogbonnaya said in court.
Related Stories
- Ex-CBN Director Accuses Emefiele of Printing Unauthorized Naira Design
- Court Orders Interim Forfeiture Of $4.7Million, N830Million, Multi-Billion-Naira Properties Belonging to Emefiele
Ogbonnaya also mentioned two other individuals, John Ogah and Opeyemi Oludimu, who worked for Emefiele and were involved in the instructions.
“I would sometimes confirm instructions from Mrs. Emefiele to ensure accuracy,” she added.
The witness detailed several transactions from CBN to Emefiele’s companies.
“On February 22, 2021, the account received N42,988,758.75 from CBN. There was also N37,279,964.70 on July 21, 2022, and N93,100,000 on May 10, 2023,” Ogbonnaya said.
She explained that Limelight Multidimensional Limited managed CBN’s Alakija facilities, Ansbaswin Resources provided diesel for vendors, and Kome Support Services handled the CBN guest house in Ikoyi.
Earlier in the court session, Justice Oshodi allowed Emefiele’s defense to recall the first prosecution witness, Monday Osazuwa, for additional questioning.
The trial will continue on July 10 for further proceedings.
The EFCC alleges that Emefiele abused his office to award contracts to his own companies, resulting in massive financial mismanagement. Emefiele and Omoile deny all charges.