In the ongoing trial over alleged abuse of office, Monday Osazuwa, a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official, testified against Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the apex bank, at the high court in Ikeja, Lagos.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing a 26-count charge, to which they pleaded not guilty. Osazuwa, the prosecution's first witness, recounted his experiences working for Emefiele, detailing how he received cash amounts for the former CBN governor. He disclosed that he used to collect dollars in cash from individuals, including a certain Raja Punjab, on behalf of Emefiele and deliver them to his residence in Ikoyi or to Omoile when Emefiele was away.
The witness also revealed that he received instructions from Emefiele to contact Punjab, who would provide him with cash amounts to deliver. The highest amount collected was $1 million, with other amounts ranging from $400,000 to $850,000. Additionally, Osazuwa disclosed that Emefiele instructed him to deliver $100,000 to Omoile when he was unavailable. Raja Punjab, another key figure in the case, remains unidentified, with EFCC listing him as a witness.
The trial was adjourned to April 29, following the court's acceptance of EFCC's request to hear testimony from certain witnesses in closed session due to alleged threats.
