LAGOS, Nigeria — An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told a Lagos court that Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), allegedly received a total of $17.1 million in cash through a proxy over a three-year period.
Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, EFCC officer Alvan Gurumnaan said the funds were handed to Henry Omoile, Emefiele’s associate and the second defendant in the trial, at the former CBN governor’s residence in Ikoyi between 2020 and 2023.
Emefiele and Omoile are currently facing a 19-count charge involving corrupt practices, including gratification and illicit financial dealings totalling $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Gurumnaan revealed that the alleged cash deliveries were first uncovered through statements provided by a dispatch rider, Monday Osazuwa, who had earlier testified as the prosecution’s first witness.
“The personal errands Osazuwa ran for Emefiele, according to him, was when he received a call from Emefiele, who then sent him a phone number and asked him to call Mohit who was in London,” Gurumnaan told the court.
“After he called Mohit, Mohit gave him the contact of an individual.”
“Osazuwa met the individual from September 2020 to 2023, and received monies in dollars on behalf of Emefiele — a total of $17,100,000,” he said.
“Upon receiving the sums, Osazuwa went to Emefiele’s house at Ikoyi and handed over the money to the second defendant, Henry Omoile, as instructed by the first defendant.”
Gurumnaan added that the cash handovers typically occurred on Fridays and were corroborated by WhatsApp messages retrieved from the proxy’s mobile device.
He told the court that the messages were accessed legally and printed after being forwarded to a colleague, Musa Idi.
A member of the EFCC’s Special Investigation Department since 2008, Gurumnaan said the commission received multiple petitions alleging abuse of office and financial misconduct by Emefiele, prompting a formal investigation.
He said the EFCC wrote to several institutions — including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Department of Legal Services, and the Financial Market Dealers Quotations — requesting official records.
“After collating the documents, we invited officials from those departments. Some were delayed, while others were released on bail,” he said.
According to the witness, several individuals close to Emefiele — including Osazuwa, John Adetola, and John Ogah — were questioned as part of the probe. One recurring name was Eric Udoh, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“We made frantic efforts to bring him but we couldn’t,” Gurumnaan said.
“There is a report tracing him to Dominican Republic, Canada, United Kingdom. As an effort to bring him to answer questions, we contacted Interpol and have placed him on red. He is now wanted all over the world.”
Justice Oshodi adjourned the case to October 7 and 8, 2025, for continuation of trial.
