An ex-CBN employee tells the court in a novel twist, "How I Collected N826m Bribe for Emefiele".

Timmy Mabs | 30th April, 2024.

A new development in the ongoing legal struggle concerning the prosecution of former CBN governor Godwin Emefiele has been brought about by a former employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

After eight years of employment at the bank, the employee testified in court regarding how he helped Emefiele obtain a $600,000 bribe. 

In order to determine if the new witness was participating in the plot or under pressure, the court postponed the case until a later date.

In the case against Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, a new witness has surfaced, offering the court additional information. 

On Monday, April 29, Mr. John Ayoh, the former Director of Information Technology at the apex bank, gave a testimony before the Ikeja Special Offences Court. 

Ayoh revealed that he worked at the national supreme financial institution for eight years. 

When Ayoh was brought before the court by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, he disclosed that the anti-graft agency had contacted him about two business transactions that he had helped to arrange through Emefiele, according to the Daily Trust. 

He told how the first money, $400,000 in all, arrived at his Lekki Phase One home in an envelope. Ayoh went on to say that he acquired the second sum at the CBN's Tinubu Head Office. 

Ayoh told the court that: "The man to deliver the second transaction came to our office in Lagos and I informed the governor but he said he did not want to see a third party that I should bring the envelope myself." He said that he delivered the money by himself, following the Emefiele's instructions. 

The witness reported to the court that the payment was made by the vendor in charge of the architectural and infrastructure services for Netapp Storage.

Bribe collection under duress,

The witness gave the presiding court, Justice Rahman Oshodi, proof of his statement and claimed that he operated under duress during the transactions. 

Ayoh clarified that he was released on administrative bail when he said that the EFCC had invited him on February 17 but that he had not been detained. 

The judge postponed the case until May 3 in order to continue the cross-examination after this testimony.