How Emefiele instructed me to hide records of collected dollars, witness tells court

In a revealing testimony at the Ikeja Special Offences Court, Monday Osasuwa, the former despatch rider for ex-Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, stated that Emefiele had directed him not to keep formal records of large sums of money collected on his behalf.

Osasuwa, now serving as the first prosecution witness (PW1) in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) case against Emefiele, disclosed this under re-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN).

During the session before Justice Rahman Oshodi, Osasuwa admitted that he had no documentation for the millions of dollars he reportedly collected and handed over to Emefiele.

This testimony was given after Justice Oshodi approved an application by Ojo to recall Osasuwa to the stand.

The lawyer asked Osasuwa if he produced any documents to the EFCC showing Emefiele’s instructions, and the witness said: “He advised me not to write anything down for all the money I brought to him. I did not produce any document because my boss told me not to keep any records. I only obeyed my boss.

“Whenever my boss was not around, he instructed me to give it to the second defendant (Henry Omoile).”

On April 12, Osasuwa had testified that Emefiele, on different occasions, used him to collect funds from different sources as the ex-CBN governor’s despatch rider.

The witness said after he became a CBN staff member, he collected over $3 million in tranches on behalf of Emefiele.

When Ojo asked the witness who his direct boss was at the CBN, Osasuwa said: “I did not have one direct boss. In my office, we have the Secretary to the former CBN Governor Emefelie.”

When the lawyer further asked Osasuwa if in his appointment letter as a senior supervisor, it was stated that he was to run personal errands for Emefiele, the witness replied: “If my boss gives me instructions, I can’t refuse.”

He told the court that based on the errands he ran for Emefelie, the EFCC said he was charged with money laundering.

“I have been carrying some dollars for him; so, the EFCC tagged it money laundering. It was based on the messages my boss sent me.”

Emefiele is standing trial for alleged abuse of office and money laundering to the tune of $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.

The EFCC had, on April 8, arraigned the ex-CBN governor on 23 counts bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained, and conferring corrupt advantage.

Omoile was arraigned on three counts bordering on acceptance of gifts by agents.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Emefiele was admitted to N50 million bail with two sureties in like sum.