Court Grants N100m Over Emefiele’s Detention

A court in Lagos heard testimony from John Adetola, a key prosecution witness, who stated that he did not keep any records of delivering $400,000 in cash to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Adetola, who previously worked as Emefiele’s executive assistant, admitted during the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation that he had no call logs, messages, or receipts to verify the transaction.

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are facing multiple charges related to alleged bribery and financial misconduct, amounting to $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.

During his testimony, Adetola explained that in 2018, he received instructions from Eric Odoh via WhatsApp to collect $400,000 from former CBN Director of Information Technology, John Ayoh. He stated that he then handed the money to Emefiele in Lagos.

“I was asked by Mr. Eric Odoh to collect the money from John Ayoh and deliver it to the governor when he was in Lagos. I picked up the envelope from Ayoh’s residence in Lekki and handed it over,” Adetola recalled.

However, under questioning, he admitted that he did not document the transaction or provide any proof of delivery, saying, “I did not see the need for it.”

During cross-examination, Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), asked whether Adetola had secured any immunity agreement with the EFCC, which he denied. He further acknowledged that his statement to investigators did not include any direct communication with Emefiele regarding the funds.

Adetola disclosed that he spent 11 days in EFCC custody but was never brought face-to-face with either Emefiele or Ayoh. Despite EFCC presenting WhatsApp messages related to the transaction, Adetola insisted that he had no direct evidence of discussions with Emefiele about the cash.

EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) re-examined Adetola, who reiterated his position that documentation was unnecessary.

Adetola, who holds a Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Studies and is affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, clarified that his role as Emefiele’s executive assistant primarily involved reporting directly to the governor.

Under further cross-examination by Yinka Kotoye (SAN), representing co-defendant Henry Omoile, Adetola confirmed that Omoile had no role in the cash transfer.

Justice Rahman Oshodi concluded the testimony and adjourned the trial to continue on Tuesday.