FORMER CBN GOVERNOR, EMEFIELE’S TRIAL SEES FIRST PROSECUTION WITNESS RECALLED

By Aishat Momoh. O.

Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Special Offences Court has granted the defence’s request to recall the first prosecution witness in the ongoing case against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele. The case involves allegations of abuse of office and multi-billion naira financial misconduct.

During the proceeding on Friday, Mr. Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), counsel for Emefiele’s co-defendant, filed a motion dated May 6, seeking to recall Mr. Monday Osazuwa, the first prosecution witness. Osazuwa had previously testified on April 12, detailing instances where Emefiele allegedly instructed him to collect $3 million in cash in multiple tranches.

Justice Oshodi approved the application to recall Osazuwa, as there were no objections from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

He said: “In the motion on notice dated May six and filed on May seven, the second defence counsel seeks an order to recall the first prosecution witness (PW1)

“The second defence counsel seeks to further cross-examine PWI on matters listed in paragraph 4 D on the affidavit in support of the application.

“The recall was also premised on nine grounds and the six paragraph affidavits was filed in support of the application and equally is a written address filed on May seven.

“The prosecution did not not file a rebuttal and I hereby grant the application,”

Additionally, the EFCC requested permission to further examine the fourth prosecution witness, a contractor who began his testimony on May 9. The court granted this request. The contractor clarified during his continued examination that his earlier statement contained an error regarding the location where $600,000 was given to the second prosecution witness, Mr. John Ayoh, a former Director of Information Technology at the CBN.

The contractor corrected his testimony, stating that $400,000 was given to Ayoh in Lagos, and $200,000 in Abuja. Under cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), the contractor confirmed he wrote the initial statement in the presence of his lawyer, Mr. Olukayode Enitan (SAN), and acknowledged the errors later.

He confirmed to the court that there were only two errors in his statement and that he was released to his lawyer after making the extra-judicial statement.

According to him: “Apart from the two errors, there are no other errors in my statement but there are omissions because I wrote 2014 to 2018 instead of 2014 to 2020.

“As a businessman of over 20 years of experience, I know I have a civic duty not to give bribe to anybody and I know that I have duties to report anyone that offers bride but I did not report because I was under serious pressure from my partners to pay them.

“I was paid the money December 2018 and upon receiving the money, my partners stopped putting pressure on me.

“Although between 2018 and 2024 when the pressure had gone,I did not report the issue of bribe to EFCC and my primary reason for being here is not for the recovery of my money.”

The witness also clarified that his partners were Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and not stakeholders in his company. He noted that while he did not mention in his written statement that his partners pressured him, he did state this during his testimony.

The judge adjourned the case until July 9 and 10 for the continuation of the trial.