Prosecution Witness Testifies on $400,000 Transaction in Trial of Former CBN Governor
The seventh prosecution witness, Mr. John Adetola, has testified before a Lagos High Court in Ikeja about his role in collecting $400,000 on behalf of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
Adetola, who identified himself as Emefiele’s Executive Assistant, recounted how he received the funds and handed them over to the former CBN governor. His testimony was given on Thursday under questioning by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Adetola explained that his responsibilities included managing office correspondence, attending to visitors, and performing tasks assigned by Emefiele. He noted that these duties gave him direct access to the former governor.
Detailing the $400,000 transaction, Adetola stated:
“In 2018, I can’t recall the exact date, but I received a WhatsApp message from Mr. Eric Odoh, the personal assistant to the CBN Governor in Abuja. He instructed me to collect $400,000 from Mr. John Ayoh, the former Director of the ICT Department, and deliver it to the governor in Lagos.
“I went to Mr. Ayoh’s residence in Lekki, Lagos, where he handed me an envelope. I returned to the office and delivered the envelope to the former CBN Governor.”
Adetola confirmed sharing this information with the EFCC during their investigation.
He also provided background on his professional relationship with Emefiele, whom he had known since his tenure as Managing Director of Zenith Bank. Adetola joined the CBN in 2014 after working at Veritas Registrars (formerly Zenith Registrars) since 2007.
When asked about his communication with Emefiele, Adetola said, “I communicated with him via telephone, office line, email, and verbal communication.” He also identified members of Emefiele’s family and co-defendant, Henry Omoile, who lived in Emefiele’s Lagos residence.
Adetola described being invited by the EFCC in February 2023, where he was interviewed and voluntarily provided statements. He confirmed that his phone, containing office-related documents, was accessed by EFCC officials, who printed and reviewed the materials.
The prosecution presented a bundle of documents, including WhatsApp messages and other official communications between Adetola, Emefiele, and others. Although counsel for Emefiele, Mr. Olalekan Ojo (SAN), initially objected to the documents’ admissibility, he later withdrew his objections after the prosecutor clarified that they were being submitted for identification purposes.
However, Mr. Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), representing co-defendant Henry Omoile, maintained his objections, arguing that documents not tendered as exhibits should not be admitted at all. In response, Oyedepo insisted on their relevance, emphasizing their importance to the case.
Justice Rahman Oshodi admitted the documents for identification purposes and adjourned the case to December 10 for cross-examination of the witness.