In a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, a prosecution witness recounted how former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, currently undergoing trial for fraud and corruption allegations, purportedly granted 45 contracts, totaling billions of naira, to relatives such as his wife, Margaret Emefiele, and associates.
Presenting before the court in Abuja on Monday, Agboro Michael, an investigator from the ICPC, pinpointed April 1616 Investment Limited, belonging to Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, a CBN staff member and associate of Emefiele, as one of the two entities benefitting from the numerous contracts.
The witness stated that the second beneficiary is Architekon Nigeria Limited, owned by Emefiele’s spouse, Margaret Emefiele. Additionally, it was noted that one of Margaret’s siblings also gained from certain contract allocations.
“My Lord, these companies were awarded about 45 contracts to supply Toyota Vehicles. We were worried as investigators as to how a particular company would get bids concurrently to supply vehicles. We did our investigation and discovered that the company was not even accredited by Toyota,” Michael said in his testimony as the seventh prosecution.
“In the companies, my Lord, one has Sa’adatu’s husband and siblings as directors, and the other one has Sa’adatu as the director of the company while she is still a civil servant.”
The witness informed the court that an inter-agency investigation, involving the ICPC, EFCC, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), and the State Security Service (SSS), revealed that Emefiele awarded the contracts to provide corrupt benefits to the recipients.
Emefiele, who served as the CBN governor for nearly a decade, is facing corruption charges following his removal from office by President Bola Tinubu last June.
He is being prosecuted on amended charges including 20 counts related to conferring corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and obtaining by false pretense amounting to $6.23 million.
During his re-arraignment in January, the former CBN governor pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, during the latest hearing on Monday, Michael provided evidence under the guidance of Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) serving as the prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
How Emefiele Allegedly Awarded Multi-Billion Naira Contracts to Family & Associates-Witness
A Seventh Prosecution Witness, PW7, in the trial of a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele on Monday, March 11, 2024, told Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal… pic.twitter.com/jWq8G82nzZ
— EFCC Nigeria (@officialEFCC) March 12, 2024