The 7th Prosecution witness, Mr John Adetola, who is testifying in the case against the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja how he collected the sum of $400,000 on behalf of Godwin Emefiele.
Adetola, who identified himself as an Executive Assistant to Emefiele, also narrated how he handed over the money to Emefiele.
He gave this testimony on Thursday while answering questions from the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo.
Adetola, told trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi that the functions of his office includes managing office correspondences, attending to visitors and any other tasks as assigned by his boss. He said this duties gave him direct access to Emefiele.
Speaking about the $400,000, he testified that he was summoned from Ekiti, his new posting place to go pick up the money.
He said, “In 2018, I can’t remember the date, the personal assistant to the CBN Gov in Abuja, Mr Eric Odoh sent me a message on WhatsApp that I should go and collect $400,000 from John Ayoh, the former director of ICT Dept. and give same to the former CBN Governor when he came to Lagos”
“I went to the house of John Ayoh at Lekki in Lagos. He gave me an envelope and I came back to the office, I gave it to the former CBN Governor”
The witness said he gave this information to the EFCC when he was interrogated about the funds.
Adetola also stated that he knew the former CBN Governor before as the Managing Director of Zenith Bank before he started working at the CBN.
“I joined the CBN in June 2014 but before I was with Veritas Registrars, formerly Zenith Registrars. I joined the company in 2007.”
When asked to mention the way he communicates with Emefiele, the witness said, “I communicate with the former CBN Governor through telephone, office line, email and verbal communication.”
Asked to name some of Emefiele’s family members, the witness said, “I know Mr. George, I know Mr Okanta. They are Mr Emefiele’s brothers. I know his wife, Mrs Margaret Emefiele. I also know the second defendant, Henry Omoile, he lived in Emefiele’s house in Lagos.
The witness also gave an account of how he was invited by the EFCC.
“In February 2023, I received an invitation from the EFCC to come to their office. They interviewed me. I travelled to the EFCC office in Lagos and made voluntary statements”
Oyedepo asked him whether in the cause of discharging his duty to the former CBN Governor, if he had any interaction with John Ayoh.
“Yes we work together, John Ayo was the former Director of the ICT.”
Adetola also informed the court that the EFCC accessed his phone which had some office documents and he was questioned on them, after which they printed the documents.
He identified some of the documents showing his communication with John Ayoh and Odoh.
The witness said: “the documents are a combination of official communication between myself and the governor via Whatsapp, between myself and John Ayoh and Eric Odoh. It also contains other official documents that I received for action.
“It also contains office consumables, and other documents from Limelight, Commec and Dummia Oil.The other documents have to do with the admin department for procurements.
“The document were found on my phone and were printed at EFCC.”
The witness said he endorsed the documents as being printed as being printed from his mobile phone.
The EFCC prosecutor, Mr Oyedepo thereafter sought the permission of the court to tender the bundle of documents.
The counsel to Emefiele, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olaleko Ojo, raised objections to the admissibility of the documents but withdrew his objections when the counsel insisted that it was merely for identification purposes.
Counsel representing Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Omoile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adeyinka Kotoye, however, maintained his objections to the admissibility of the documents stating that the documents had no basis in law.
According to Kotoye, “a document not tendered as an exhibit should not be tendered at all”.
In his response, Oyedepo insisted that the documents were relevant and would prove essential ingredients of the offence. He insisted on tendering it for purpose of identification.
After considering all the submissions, Justice Oshodi admitted the documents and marked it as for “purpose of identification”.
He adjourned the till December 10 for the cross examination of the witness.