Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, appeared in a Federal Capital Territory High Court on Tuesday to testify in the trial of ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele is facing charges of corrupt advantages, conspiracy, breach of trust, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretenses, amounting to $6,230,000.
Mustapha, appearing as the second prosecution witness (PW-2), stated that the $6.2m released from the Central Bank of Nigeria in February 2023 was issued using a forged document.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), Mustapha said that he had no knowledge of the transaction and that the document in question did not originate from the office of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He mentioned that he had never heard of the term “Special Appropriation Provision” during his time in government. He further disputed the authenticity of Buhari’s signature on the documents.
According to him, “All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed.
“From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the president for the following reasons.
“A correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian president does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.
“I have looked at it and read, that FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.
“I am the custodian of FEC, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me.
“Also, in all the five years and seven months, I have never heard of the terms special appropriation provision referred to. The terms known to me, my lord, are appropriation as provided by the appropriation act normally passed by the national assembly and when the government file drafts it brings supplementary appropriation.
“In all the correspondences I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.
“And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts.”
He also denied receiving any amount from the said money. Mustapha emphasized that the Federal Government is not responsible for the payment of foreign election observers and that Federal Executive Council decisions are not conveyed through letters.
You will recall that on Monday, a First Prosecution Witness (PW1), Onyeka Ogbu, narrated how the ex-CBN governor approved the payment of $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers in the 2023 general election.
Ogbu, the Deputy Director of Branch Operations at the apex bank, reviewed and approved the $6.2 million payment request for disbursement.
