During the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria governor Godwin Emefiele on March 11, 2024, a Seventh Prosecution Witness, PW7, informed Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that Emefiele allegedly signed off on contracts and payments to companies owned by Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, his wife Margaret Emefiele, and his in-law.
The witness, Agboro Michael, an investigator with the ICPC, testified that Emefiele approved contracts for April 1616 Investment Limited and Architekon Nigeria Limited. These allegations were part of a case involving abuse of office and providing unfair advantages to public officers and their relatives. The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, led the witness, who was part of a team that included the EFCC, ICPC, CCB, DSS, and the Nigerian Police in the investigation.
“My Lord, these companies were awarded about 45 contracts to supply Toyota Vehicles. We were worried as investigators as to how a particular company would get bids concurrently to supply vehicles. We did our investigation and discovered that the company was not even accredited by Toyota.
“In the companies, my Lord, one has Sa’adatu’s husband and siblings as directors, and the other one has Sa’adatu as the director of the company while she is still a civil servant.
“Document ‘F1’ shows the signature and approval of the defendant to pay the sum of N854, 700,000 (Eight Hundred Fifty-Four Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira) His signature was number three on the document”, he said. Testifying further, Michael said in ‘F3’, the defendant approved 1, 85,700,000 (One Billion, Eighty-five million, Seven Hundred thousand) for the supply of 47 units of Toyota Hilux.
The defendant approved the purchase of an armored Toyota Avalon car for the bank at a cost of N99,900,000 (Ninety-Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira) with ‘F4’. Additionally, ‘F5’ was the approval for the bank to buy two units of Toyota Hilux, all of which were purchased from April 1616 Investment Limited.
Michael discussed the findings of the investigative team regarding exhibit P26, which can be found on page 86 out of 107, on November 6, 2021.
He said: “It is a credit into the account from the CBN to the tune of N41, 943, 400, 34 (Forty-one Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-three Thousand, Four hundred and Thirty four kobo).
“Page 87 was also a credit in April 2016 from the CBN, N304, 853, 50 (Three Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand naira, Fifty kobo).
“26 January, 2021, April 1616 Investment Nigeria limited also received N304, 853, 720, 55 (Three Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Three Thousand Seven Hundred and Twenty Naira Fifty-Five kobo) from the CBN.
“On the 10th of February, 2021, the CBN paid N201, 23, 323, 31 (Two Hundred and One Million, Twenty-Three Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty-Three Naira, Thirty-One kobo).
The defendant approved payments on March 24, 2021 for N304,843,720.85, April 27, 2021 for N60,976,744.17, May 31, 2021 for N60,976,744.17, and February 21, 2021 for N50,547,508.30.
The witness also mentioned that the defendant’s statement was recorded under caution and video recorded in a comfortable setting.
Testifying further, the witness said; “In 2019, again, we discovered the defendant also used his office and position to confer a corrupt advantage to one of the staff of CBN, Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero to supply one unit of Toyota Land Cruiser V8 at the cost of N73, 800,000 (Seventy-Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand to her company April 1616 Investment Nigeria limited where she is a director, and equally a director in the CBN.
“Again my Lord, the defendant also approved the payment of renovation of the CBN Governors’ residence at No 2. Global road, Ikoyi Lagos to a company named; Architekon Nigeria Limited where his wife and brother-in-law are both directors.
“Sometime in 2020, the defendant used his position as CBN Governor to confer on his wife and brother in-law corrupt advantage by awarding their company landscaping of the CBN governor’s residence in the sum of N39,46,000 (Thirty-Nine Million, Forty Six Thousand Naira”,he said.
Michael mentioned that a contract worth 97,000,000 Naira was given to his brother-in-law to purchase furniture items, and another contract worth 68,568,740 Naira was awarded to procure a power line at the CBN Governor’s residence.
During the cross-examination by the defendant’s counsel, Matthew Burkaa SAN, he questioned why only the defendant was on trial even though there were multiple signatories on the memo. The witness explained that the defendant was the approving authority, while others simply minuted on the documents to justify the process without the power to make payments or approvals.
Burkaa tried to submit the defendant’s statement at the Nigerian Police force as evidence, but Oyedepo objected, stating that it needed to be certified before being accepted as an exhibit. Burkaa agreed to provide the certified copy at the next court date.
Justice Muazu then adjourned the trial to April 25 and 26, 2024, for further proceedings.
