A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Agboro Michael, has told a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Abuja how the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, allegedly awarded contracts to April 1616 Investment Limited and Architekon Nigeria Limited, companies allegedly belonging to Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, his wife, Margaret Emefiele, and his in-law respectively.
The witness, an investigator with the ICPC, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), was part of the investigation team that comprised the EFCC, ICPC, CCB, DSS, and the Nigerian Police.
Michael, on Monday, March 11, 2024, testified on the count-charge of abuse of office and conferring an unfair advantage to a public officer and relatives, preferred against Emefiele.
He said: “My Lord, these companies were awarded about 45 contracts to supply Toyota Vehicles. We were worried as investigators as to how a particular company would get bids concurrently to supply vehicles. We did our investigation and discovered that the company was not even accredited by Toyota.
“In the companies, my Lord, one has Sa’adatu’s husband and siblings as directors, and the other one has Sa’adatu as the director of the company while she is still a civil servant.
“Document ‘F1’ shows the signature and approval of the defendant to pay the sum of N854,700,000. His signature was number three on the document.”
The EFCC witness further disclosed that in ‘F3’, Emefiele approved N1.8 billion for the supply of 47 units of Toyota Hilux.
Michael said the ‘F4’ was Emefiele’s approval to purchase for the CBN an armoured Toyota Avalon car at the cost of N99,900,000.
He revealed that ‘F5’ was the approval to procure two units of Toyota Hilux for the apex bank, adding that all were bought from April 1616 Investment Limited.
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Speaking on the findings of the investigative team on an exhibit on November 6, 2021, the EFCC witness said: “It is a credit into the account from the CBN to the tune of N41,943,400,34.
“Page 87 was also a credit in April 2016 from the CBN, N304,853,50.
“On January 26, 2021, April 1616 Investment Nigeria Limited also received N304,853,720,55 from the CBN.
“On the 10th of February, 2021, the CBN paid N201,23,323,31.
“The approval of payment of March 24, 2021, was N304,843,720,85; April 27, 2021, was N60,976,744,17; May 31, 2021, was a payment of 60,976,744,17; and February 21, 2021, was a payment of N50,547,508,30 were equally approved by the defendant.”
The witness further told the court that the team recorded the defendant’s statement under caution and video recorded in a conducive environment.
He added: “In 2019, again, we discovered the defendant also used his office and position to confer a corrupt advantage to one of the staff of CBN, Sa’adatu Ramalan Yero, to supply one unit of Toyota Land Cruiser V8 at the cost of N73,800,000 to her company April 1616 Investment Nigeria limited where she is a director, and equally a director in the CBN.
“Again, my Lord, the defendant also approved the payment of renovation of the CBN Governors’ residence at No 2. Global road, Ikoyi Lagos to a company named Architekon Nigeria Limited where his wife and brother-in-law are both directors.
“Sometime in 2020, the defendant used his position as CBN Governor to confer on his wife and brother-in-law corrupt advantage by awarding their company landscaping of the CBN Governor’s residence in the sum of N39,46,000.”
Michael further disclosed that a contract to procure furniture items was also awarded to Emefiele’s brother-in-law in the sum of N97,000,000, and a contract to procure a power line at the same CBN Governor’s residence in the sum of N68,568,740.
The presiding judge, Justice Hamza Muazu, thereafter adjourned the matter till April 25 and 26, 2024, for the continuation of trial.
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