Sanni Marvelous
A prosecution witness on Friday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that $2.045 million in cash and property title documents recovered from a lawyer belonged to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, as his trial on multiple corruption-related charges continued.
The 12th prosecution witness, PW12, David Oyesina Jaiyeoba, an investigation officer with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), testified before Justice Hamza Muazu that the funds and documents were recovered during investigations triggered by a report from an Inter-Agency Task Force led by the Directorate of State Services (DSS).
Jaiyeoba, who was led in evidence by prosecution counsel and Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, said the investigation involved several individuals, companies and government agencies, leading to the recovery of cash and assets later forfeited to the Federal Government.
“Several individuals, companies and government agencies were invited and interviewed and several findings were made,” he told the court, adding that significant assets and cash were recovered in the process.
According to the witness, part of the funds traced to Emefiele originated from his former personal assistant. “Two million dollars was discovered to have come from one Eric Ocheme Odo. The said Eric was PA (Personal Assistant) to the defendant during his tenure as governor of CBN,” he said.
Jaiyeoba further told the court that the cash and property documents were found with Emefiele’s lawyer, who admitted they belonged to the former apex bank chief.
“It was confirmed by the person who kept the over $2,0450,000, who happens to be the lawyer of the defendant, that the cash we found in his possession was the property of the defendant. We found property documents and he also confirmed that the property belonged to the defendant,” he said.
Testifying further, the witness said the funds and documents were recovered from Zenith Bank Plc headquarters in Lagos. “My lord, funds amounting to $2,045,000.00 alongside several property title documents were recovered from Zenith Bank Plc Headquarters in Lagos in the possession of one Mr. Collins Omeife, lawyer to the defendant,” he said.
He added that investigations revealed that Omeife had been acting on Emefiele’s instructions in acquiring and perfecting property titles. “In the course of our investigations on Collins, it was discovered that Mr. Collins Omeife had been acquiring and perfecting title documents on the instruction of the defendant,” Jaiyeoba said.
The witness told the court that Omeife disclosed during interrogation that Emefiele regularly gave him cash, including foreign currency, for property acquisitions. He said the lawyer explained that the funds were usually delivered through Emefiele’s personal assistant. Omeife, according to the witness, also used part of the money to renovate some of Emefiele’s existing properties.
Jaiyeoba added that Emefiele himself later confirmed ownership of the assets when he was invited to explain why they should not be forfeited. The witness said the confirmation came when the former CBN governor “came to show cause as to why the assets should not be forfeited to the federal government.”
Beyond the cash and properties, the witness testified on alleged contract approvals involving companies linked to Emefiele’s family. He told the court that the defendant approved payments to several firms, including Architekon Nigeria Limited, which he said was promoted by MacCombo Omoile, Emefiele’s brother-in-law, and Margaret Omoile, his wife.
According to the witness, “the defendant approved payment for Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Ltd,” and he identified several internal CBN documents tendered as exhibits. He said Exhibit A1 was “an internal memorandum of the CBN, showing approval for the payment of the CBN governor’s residential house in Ikoyi Lagos,” while Exhibit A2 was “a contract document for the landscaping of the governor’s residence by Architekon Nigeria Ltd.”
Jaiyeoba further told the court that Exhibit A5 was “an internal memo of the CBN, requesting for approval to pay the sum of N97,908,416.38 (Ninety Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Thirty Eight Kobo) to Architekon Nig Ltd for the supply of office furniture to the CBN,” which he said was approved by Emefiele.
He also identified Exhibit A8 as “another internal memo of the CBN, a contract for the provision of dedicated power in the CBN governor’s residence, with an interim certificate, approved by the defendant.”
The witness also testified about banking records obtained during the investigation, telling the court that there was correspondence between the EFCC and Zenith Bank regarding Emefiele’s accounts. He said Exhibits ED1, ED2 and ED3 were responses from the bank to EFCC’s requests.
“Exhibit ED3 is a debit entry on the account of the defendant to the account no 2020000064, amounting to N4 million which was paid to Architekon Nigeria Ltd,” he said.
Justice Muazu adjourned the case to March 5, 16 and 17, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Emefiele, who served as CBN governor from 2014 to 2023, was appointed under former President Muhammadu Buhari and became one of the longest-serving heads of the apex bank. His tenure was marked by aggressive monetary interventions, foreign exchange controls and direct lending programmes aimed at supporting agriculture and other sectors, policies that drew both praise and criticism.
Following the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu in May 2023, Emefiele was suspended from office and later removed, amid mounting allegations of financial impropriety and abuse of office. He was subsequently arrested and charged by the EFCC, with prosecutors alleging that he used his position to facilitate fraudulent contracts, launder funds and acquire assets through proxies.
The EFCC is prosecuting Emefiele on an amended 20-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, forgery, obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy to commit forgery, procurement fraud and conspiracy to commit felony before Justice Muazu.
