In the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, a prosecution witness, John Adetola, alleged he collected $400,000 on behalf of Emefiele.
Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi, Adetola, who served as Emefiele’s Executive Assistant, stated that he picked up the money from John Ayoh, a former ICT Department Director, at Ayoh’s residence in Lekki, Lagos, and delivered it to Emefiele in 2018.
“I received a WhatsApp message from Eric Odoh, the personal assistant to the CBN Governor, instructing me to collect the money from Ayoh and hand it over to the former CBN Governor in Lagos,” Adetola told the court.
He detailed his communication channels with Emefiele and listed individuals linked to the former CBN Governor, including family members and Henry Omoile, the co-defendant in the case.
During the proceedings, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) tendered documents extracted from Adetola’s phone, which allegedly contained evidence of his communications. While Emefiele’s counsel, Olaleko Ojo, SAN, initially objected to the documents’ admissibility, the objection was withdrawn after clarification on their use for identification purposes.
Counsel for Omoile, Adeyinka Kotoye, SAN, maintained objections, arguing the documents lacked legal relevance. However, the court admitted the documents for identification purposes.
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to December 10, 2024, for the cross-examination of the witness.
