An investigator from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has said that the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, received $17.1 million in cash through someone else over three years.
The EFCC officer, Alvan Gurumnaan, told the court on Tuesday that the money was given between 2020 and 2023. The cash was handed to Henry Omoile, a friend of Emefiele, at Emefiele’s home in Ikoyi.
The money trail was found after a dispatch rider named Monday Osazuwa gave a statement. Osazuwa had already spoken to the court for the EFCC prosecution.
According to Gurumnaan, Osazuwa did personal errands for Emefiele. One day, Emefiele called Osazuwa and gave him a phone number to call a man named Mohit, who was in London. After calling Mohit, Osazuwa got the contact of another person.
From September 2020 to 2023, Osazuwa met that person and collected dollars for Emefiele. The total amount was $17.1 million. Each time Osazuwa received the money, he went to Emefiele’s house in Ikoyi and gave the cash to Henry Omoile, as Emefiele had instructed.
These money transfers mostly happened on Fridays. The EFCC got permission to check WhatsApp messages that were used to arrange the meetings, and they printed the messages as evidence.
Gurumnaan said they made sure to get proper approval before accessing the phone, and the WhatsApp messages were sent to a colleague’s email for safekeeping.
The EFCC investigator, who has worked in the commission’s Special Investigation Department since 2008, also said the commission received many complaints against Emefiele about abuse of power and misuse of money.
The EFCC wrote to several government agencies like the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Corporate Affairs Commission to get supporting documents for their investigation. Officials from these agencies were invited for questioning, but some delayed and others were released on bail.
People close to Emefiele, such as John Adetola and John Ogah, were interviewed during the investigation. However, one key person named Eric Udoh could not be found.
Reports say Eric Udoh might be in the Dominican Republic, Canada, or the United Kingdom. The EFCC contacted Interpol and placed a red notice on him, making him wanted worldwide.
Emefiele and Omoile are facing 19 charges related to taking bribes worth $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion. The court has set new trial dates for October 7 and 8, 2025.
