RismadarVoice Reporters
July 2, 2026
The trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, continued on Thursday before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, with a prosecution witness alleging that the $6.23 million released by the apex bank for a purported foreign election observer mission was fraudulently obtained.
The 14th prosecution witness, Commissioner of Police Okpoziakpo Eloho, told Justice Hamza Muazu that the funds, released on Emefiele’s instruction, were approved without sufficient details and were never intended for the stated purpose.
Led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the witness testified that the investigative team concluded the transaction was “pure theft.”
“The entire money was released. We saw the approval of the governor. It was pure theft. It was stolen, otherwise obtained under false pretence,” he told the court.
Eloho identified Exhibit PD5 as a presidential directive relating to a foreign election observer mission but maintained that investigators found the document was merely used to facilitate the alleged fraud.
“Our finding with regards to PD5 is that it is all fraud,” he added.
The witness, however, disclosed that investigators recovered about $800,000 from the allegedly diverted funds during the course of the investigation.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, Matthew Burka, SAN, Eloho acknowledged that, as CBN Governor, Emefiele had authority over the bank’s funds. He also confirmed that investigators interviewed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, who allegedly denied that one of the signatures contained in the relevant documents belonged to him.
The witness further testified that the individual who collected the $6.23 million, identified as Jibril Abubakar, was found not to be a staff member of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, despite presenting an identification card purportedly from the office.
According to him, investigations revealed that the staff identification number on the card did not belong to Abubakar.
Asked whether due process was followed in the release of the funds, the witness answered in the negative, stating that the approval did not follow the established internal procedure of the CBN.
Justice Muazu adjourned the case until July 3, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
