The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele took a dramatic turn on Monday, April 27, after a prosecution witness alleged that $6.23 billion was unlawfully moved from the apex bank under the pretext of funding foreign observers for the 2023 general elections.
Witness Testimony
According to The Sun, the witness, identified as Chinedu Eneanya, testified before Justice Hamza Muazu at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja. Eneanya stated that investigations uncovered that the funds were released based on documents bearing forged signatures of former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
Eneanya, who appeared as the 13th prosecution witness, told the court that forensic analysis confirmed the signatures on the approval documents were not authentic. He further revealed that several individuals linked to the transactions were questioned, while key documents were retrieved from the CBN.
Suspended Officials
During cross-examination, the witness disclosed that five CBN officials who endorsed the internal memo authorizing the release of the funds had since been suspended.
Defence Objections
Defence counsel Matthew Burkaa (SAN) accused the prosecution of delaying the trial and sought to have its case closed if it failed to produce its remaining witnesses at the next hearing. However, prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) countered that efforts to secure the witnesses, who are currently outside the court's jurisdiction, were ongoing.
Court Ruling
Justice Muazu directed both parties to reserve their arguments on the application until final addresses and instructed the prosecution to work with the court registrar to issue subpoenas. The case was adjourned to April 28, 2026, for continuation of trial.
