Two witnesses the EFCC brought to court have narrated how they gave and took $600,000 in kickback for Godwin Emefiele. But the CBN former governor facing a $4.5 billion corruption trial has kept saying it wasn’t him......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Victor Onyejiuwa and John Ayoh testified separately before the Lagos Special Offences Court April 30 and May 9 respectively.
Onyejiuwa, an ICT contractor, paid the bribe following Ayoh’s insistence—that the approving authority would only give their nod when the contractor played ball.
“After several back and forth, I succumbed to his pressure,” the contractor told EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo.
“I was able to organise the sum of $400,000 and $200,000 to facilitate payment of the contract funds.”
He worked for the CBN between 2014 and 2017, inking down many contracts, the biggest standing at N1.2 billion.
His testimony followed Ayoh’s, a former director of CBN’s ICT department, who confirmed before the court he took the bribe.
“I believe I did admit in my statement that I was forced to commit the crime,” he told Emefiele lawyer Olalekan Ojo cross examining him.
“I don’t know the exact word I used in my statement. But I said we were all forced with tremendous pressure to bend the rules.”
The first money Ayoh said he collected on Emefiele’s behalf was $400,000. John Adetola, his assistant, came to collect it in his Lekki home, Lagos.
Onyewuiji brought the $200,000 balance to the bank’s Island headquarters.
Emefiele has pleaded not guilty since his arraignment April 8.
His ordeal started in 2023 when the DSS declared his wanted for illegal arms possession. He remained in the DSS coop for months, despite court orders.
President Bola Tinubu would later order a special investigation of the CBN. A flurry of allegation has been pouring on Emefiele since then.
In addition to the $4.5 billion fraud allegation, another N2.8 stands on the side.