Monday Osazuwa, a staff member at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), testified at the Ikeja Special Offences Court on Friday, stating that on various occasions, former governor Godwin Emefiele ordered him to retrieve $3 million in cash in different tranches.
During his testimony, guided by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Monday Osazuwa revealed that before joining the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2014, he worked as a dispatch rider at Zenith Bank in 2001.
Osasuwa said that he was appointed as a senior supervisor at the apex bank in 2014.
He said that while he worked as a dispatch rider at Zenith Bank Plc, Emefiele held the position of Managing Director.
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The witness disclosed that he knew Emefiele as his boss at Zenith Bank, and later followed him to the CBN.
He added that he was appointed as a full-time senior supervisor responsible for recording and filing documents in the CBN governor’s office in Lagos.
- “I was still working in the CBN governor’s office while I was appointed as a full staff member and we usually communicated through WhatsApp and email.
- “I function as a senior supervisor, recording and filing with other official roles.
- “I recall that in 2020, when he was outside Lagos, he called me that he would give me a number that a man had something I should collect from him and that the man would give me the number of another person.
- “When I got to the man’s office, I was given an envelope. I counted the money and the man said I should give it to my boss,” he said.
Furthermore, the witness narrated to the court that whenever the first defendant was in Lagos, he would personally collect the money, but in his absence, he instructed him to deliver the money to the second defendant.
Additionally, Osazuwa mentioned that during his time at Zenith Bank, Emefiele had sent him to MINL Ltd.
He mentioned that Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, resided at the former CBN governor’s home.
He also stated that whenever he collected money on behalf of his boss, he would deliver it to his residence located at Iru Close, Ikoyi.
- “This company is situated at Isolo, the first defendant did send me to collect cheques from the company from Mr Monday and when I collected the cheque from Mr Monday, I would give it back to Emefiele and he would lodge the money into Dumies Oil and Gas.
- “Whenever I received the money and take it to my boss’s residence, Mr Emefiele would tell me to give it to the second defendant whenever he was not at home.
- “I did not keep a record of transactions because the instruction he gave me was that I should collect the money and bring the money to his house.
- “The highest amount I collected was one million dollars all in cash and some weeks later, the businessman also called me to collect $850,000, $750,000 and $400,000 cash in tranches.
- “I have never been rewarded, paid or given anything because I am doing it out of faithfulness and he knows it but he has never for once said, ‘take this’,” he said.
Backstory
Nairametrics reported that on April 8, the EFCC charged Emefiele with 23 counts that included abuse of office, accepting gratuities, corrupt solicitation, receiving fraudulently obtained property, and providing corrupt advantages.
- His co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, faced three counts related to the acceptance of gifts by agents.
- Both defendants entered pleas of not guilty.
- Previously, Judge Oshodi had refused the defense counsel’s oral requests for an adjournment, made on two occasions.
- The judge then scheduled the trial and a hearing for an application for a closed session to take place on April 29.
Source: https://nannews.com.ng/index.php/2024/04/12/how-i-collected-3m-cash-for-emefiele-cbn-employee/
