John Ogah, a former Secretary at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), told an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday that the immediate past CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, directed payment of money into his niece’s bank account.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Emefiele for alleged abuse of office and $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud while in office.
Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Omoile, is standing trial on three counts bordering on unlawful acceptance of gifts by agents.
Ogah, the sixth prosecution witness, was led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
According to him, one Hannah Emefiele is the first defendant’s niece.
He told the court that he (Ogah) instructed an account officer to pay money into Hannah’s bank account on the instruction of Emefiele.
The witness said that all emails he sent to the bank account officer and instructions given were as directed by Emefiele.
Ogah 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, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), however, queried the relevance of mentioning Hannah’s name.
Ojo argued that Hannah’s name was not mentioned anywhere in the charge.
He also claimed that EFCC included the name in the course of giving evidence.
In response, EFCC counsel, 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 that 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 document to EFCC.
According to him, 99 per cent of instructions he received from Emefiele was not in writing.
