EFCC witnesses exonerate Emefiele from alleged N1.2 bn contract award, fraudulent payment

The trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, commenced at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja on Tuesday. Emefiele faces six counts brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) relating to alleged breaches of procurement procedures in the award of N1.2 billion vehicle supply contracts to April1616 Investment Limited during his tenure.

During the trial’s opening, three witnesses presented by the prosecution exonerated Emefiele of wrongdoing. The first witness, Samsideen Romanus, a Corporate Affairs Commission official, confirmed that Emefiele was neither the owner nor a shareholder of April1616 Investment Limited. The company’s incorporation documents were presented, indicating joint ownership by Aminu Idris Yaro, Maryam Aliyu Abdullahi, and Saadatu Ramalan Yaro.

The second witness, Remigious Ugwu, a Compliance Officer with Zenith Bank, detailed payments made by the CBN to April1616 Investment Limited. However, he clarified that these transactions had no links to Emefiele, who was not a signatory to the company’s bank account.

The third witness, Oluwole Owoeye, a Deputy Director at CBN and former Secretary to the Major Contract Tendering Committee, emphasized that his committee was not involved in the vetting of bidding for the contracts leading to the charges against Emefiele. Owoeye stated that another committee handled the bidding process due to its scale.

The trial is adjourned until January 18 and 19 next year. Emefiele is accused of conferring corrupt advantages through vehicle supply contracts to Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro, a CBN staff and director of April1616 Investment Limited. Emefiele has denied the six-count criminal charges. The charges relate to the award of contracts for the supply of vehicles to April1616 Investment Limited, where Sa’adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director.