CBN staff tells court how he collected $3m cash for Emefiele

A staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Monday Osazuwa, on Friday, told the Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, how the apex bank’s former governor, Godwin Emefiele, directed him to collect $3 million cash in tranches.

Osasuwa, who was led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said he was a dispatch rider in Zenith Bank before he joined the CBN in 2014.

The witness said he joined the apex bank as a senior supervisor in 2014.

He added that Emefiele was the Managing Director of Zenith Bank while he was working as a dispatch rider in the bank.

The EFCC on April 8 arraigned Emefiele on a 23-count charge bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained, and conferring corrupt advantage.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Osazuwa said: “I was still working in the CBN governor’s office while I was appointed as a full staff member and we usually communicated through WhatsApp and email.

“I function as a senior supervisor recording and filing with other official roles.

READ ALSO: EFCC to arraign Emefiele on fresh criminal charges Monday

“I recall that in 2020, when he (Emefiele) was outside Lagos, he called me to give me a number that a man had something I should collect from him and that the man would give me the number of another person.

“When I got to the man’s office, I was given an envelope. I counted the money and the man said I should give it to my boss.”

The witness said the ex-CBN chief used to collect money himself anytime he was in Lagos.

Osazuwa told the court that Emefiele sent him to MINL Limited when he was with Zenith Bank.

He added: “This company is situated at Isolo. The first defendant did send me to collect cheques from the company from Mr. Monday and when I collected the cheque from Mr. Monday, I would give it back to Emefiele and he would lodge the money into Dumies Oil and Gas.

According to him, Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, lived in the residence of the former CBN governor.

He revealed that when he collected money for his boss, he would take it to his residence at Iru Close, Ikoyi.

“Whenever I received the money and took it to my boss’s residence, Mr Emefiele would tell me to give it to the second defendant whenever he was not at home.

“I did not keep a record of transactions because the instruction he gave me was that I should collect the money and bring the money to his house.

“The highest amount I collected was one million dollars all in cash and some weeks later, the businessman also called me to collect $850,000, $750,000, and $400,000 cash in tranches.

“I have never been rewarded, paid or given anything because I am doing it out of faithfulness and he knows it but he has never for once said, ‘take this’,” he concluded.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case till April 29 for trial and hearing of the application for a closed session.

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