Immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, has said that a forged signature of President Muhammadu Buhari was used for the withdrawal of $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Mustapha declared that the documents didn’t emanate from President Buhari or the SGF office.

He also denied receiving any amount from the said money.

The ex-SGF spoke on Tuesday, February 13, 2024 while testifying as the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing corruption trial of former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, before the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

The EFCC tendered some documents to the court among which included letters from the former president, Muhammadu Buhari and the office of the SGF.

The Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Emefiele to court on amended 20-count charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, conferring undue advantage, breach of trust among others.

In the amended charge marked CR/577/2023, the ex-CBN Governor was alleged to have on February 8, 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”

The EFCC stated that Emefiele claimed that the SGF requested the CBN to release “a contingent logistic advance in the sum of $6,230,000 in line with Mr. President’s directive.”

The anti-graft agency alleged that Emefiele, in January 2023, forged a document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.

While being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), on Tuesday, Mustapha said: “I do not know anything about this transaction.

“All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed. From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the Office of the President for the following reasons:

Emefiele’s trial: Why I paid $6.23m cash for foreign election observers – CBN official

“First, a correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian president does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.

“Second, I have looked at it and read, that FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.

“Third, I am the custodian of FEC, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me.

“Also, in all the five years and seven months I was the SGF, I have never heard of the terms special appropriation provision referred to. The terms known to me, my lord, are appropriation as provided by the appropriation act normally passed by the National Assembly and when the government file drafts it brings supplementary appropriation.

“In all the correspondences I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.
“And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts. Also, the Nigerian government does not have business funding election observers.”

He told the court that at a meeting he had on January 18, 2023, which was presided over by the then vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, no payment of foreign election observers was approved.

“The letter did not emanate from the office of the SGF. If it did not emanate, it means I did not sign it.

“I do not know any one called Jubril Abubakar, a principal officer in my office who was said to be the cashier of the money on February 8, 2023,” he said.

During cross examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Mathew Barkka (SAN) when asked if the cashier Jubril worked in his office, he said: “Jubril is not one my staff.

“Whoever the Jubril is should be answerable for his act. I have never discussed money for election observers with the defendant.”

After listening to the testimony, Justice Hamza Muazu adjourned until March 7, March 11 and March 25 for continuation of hearing.

A senior official of the CBN, Ogau Onyeka Michael, on Monday, February 12, 2024 told Justice Hamza Muazu how he paid $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers in the last 2023 general election.

Michael, a former branch controller of the CBN, Abuja branch, identified the documents presented to him by the prosecution, adding that he worked on the documents.

According to him, on January 8, 2023, a request for payment in the sum of $6,230,000 came to his office and that documents for the disbursement of the money were approved by the then CBN boss in cash for international election observers

“…The instruction was that the payment was for election observance and be paid cash in a naira equivalent of the said amount. It further stated that the money should be refunded in the second quarter of 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Finance. My Lord, the document also stated that, ‘find attached the approval of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria for the payment’.

“Also, the memo had an attached approval of the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and that of the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria….”

The Star