Prosecution Witness Alleges $400,000 Transaction Involving Former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele
In a dramatic twist in the ongoing trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, the 7th prosecution witness, Mr John Adetola, has made startling revelations about a $400,000 transaction allegedly carried out on behalf of the former CBN chief.
Adetola, who identified himself as an Executive Assistant to Emefiele, took the stand on Thursday to testify before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja High Court. He disclosed that his role as Executive Assistant granted him direct access to Emefiele and involved tasks such as managing office correspondence, attending to visitors, and performing other duties as assigned by his boss.
The $400,000 Transaction
While being cross-examined by the lead counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Adetola recounted how he was instructed to collect $400,000 from a former CBN director.
“In 2018, I can’t recall the exact date, I received a message on WhatsApp from Mr. Eric Odoh, the personal assistant to the CBN Governor in Abuja,” Adetola said. “He instructed me to collect $400,000 from Mr. John Ayoh, the former Director of the ICT Department, and deliver it to the CBN Governor in Lagos.”
Adetola narrated how he travelled to Lekki, Lagos, to meet Ayoh at his residence. “I went to Mr. Ayoh’s house, collected an envelope containing the money, and returned to the office, where I handed it over to the former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele,” he testified.
