Emefiele’s Wife Ordered Funds Transfer From Nigerian Central Bank To Family-Linked Companies, Witness Reveals
Emefiele is currently on trial for alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds totalling $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion during his tenure as CBN governor
Mrs. Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, Business Relationship Manager at Zenith Bank plc, testified in the Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos, on Tuesday, revealing how Godwin Emefiele, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), utilised his companies to secure various contracts from the apex bank.
Emefiele is currently on trial for alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of funds totalling $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion during his tenure as CBN governor.
Emefiele is facing a 26-count charge alongside his co-defendant, Henry Isioma Omoile, in a trial presided over by Justice Rahman Oshodi.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the charges against them.
Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, the fifth prosecution witness, testified in court that she had no direct dealings with Emefiele but received instructions from his wife, Margaret Emefiele, to transfer funds from the CBN into their private companies’ Zenith Bank account, revealing a potential conflict of interest and abuse of power.
Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, the witness, testified that she received instructions not only from Mrs. Margaret Emefiele but also from two other individuals, John Ogah and the late Opeyemi Oludimu, who was an aide to Emefiele.
Under questioning by EFCC prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Ogbonnaya revealed that she received these instructions through various channels, including her official email, phone calls, and WhatsApp messages, detailing how she carried out transactions based on these instructions.
Ogbonnaya testified before Justice Oshodi that the companies that received funds from the CBN were Limelight Multidimensional Ltd, Come Support Services Ltd, Ambswin Resources Ltd, and Magofarm. She revealed that Emmanuel initially opened the accounts for Emefiele’s companies, but new signatories took over in 2021, specifically Stephen and Patrici¤a.
