Ogbonnaya told an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday how Emefiele used the bank to move multimillion naira to his wife.

Emefiele is standing trial over abuse of office and alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud while in office.

Ogbonnaya, the fifth prosecution witness, was led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

She told the court how Emefiele used Zenith Bank to transfer millions of naira in tranches to his wife through various companies.

Ogbonnaya said the companies that received the cash flow were Amswing Resources and Solution, Limelight Dimensional Service Ltd., Omec Support Service Ltd. and Mango Farm.

“Limelight manages the facilities of CBN, located at Alakija and all transactions pertaining to power and fixing things that are not working was always done by the vendors,” she said.

The witness who also doubles as a Business Relationship Manager, joined the bank in 2006.

Ogbonnaya said she never had direct dealings with the ex-CBN governor but received instructions from his wife to transfer cash from CBN into their private companies through Zenith Bank account.

She said apart from Mrs Emefiele she also received instructions from two other people, one Mr John Ogah and one Mr Opeyemi Oludimu, who worked for the Emefiele but now late.

The witness, however, said that she managed the various companies accounts through which the multimillion naira was sent to.

“Mrs Margaret Emefiele, the ex-CBN governor’s wife, is the direct beneficiary of the accounts.

“The companies sent transfer instructions to my email and Margaret is the beneficial owner of the accounts.

“All transactions made in the accounts were confirmed by Mrs Emefiele before they were processed.

“She sends transfer instructions directly to my official email address with Zenith Bank or sends two other persons to act on her behalf but I still receive approval from her,” she said.

The witness also told the court that from March 9 to 11, 2015, the accounts received cash flow from  the apex bank to the tune of N18. 9 million and N1.8 million respectively

“On Feb. 22, 2021, there was a cash flow of N43 million from CBN; on July 21, 2022, there was a cash flow of N37.3 million; on Oct. 21, 2022, there was a credit flow of N44.6 million; on May 10, 2023, there was a cash flow of N93.1 million from CBN, among others,” she said.

The witness further said that she usually communicated with Emefiele’s wife through email, phone calls and Whatsapp on transactions that were to be carried out on the accounts before processing them.

She said the bundles of documents which entailed the various transactions were printed from her office desktop computer.

“The documents were sent to my email and when investigation started, I was requested to print all the documents to the law enforcement which I did.

“I printed from the office desktop and took them to compliance officer.

“I also have certificate confirming that these documents were printed from Zenith Bank,” Ogbonnaya said.

The prosecution sought to tender the bundles of documents which entailed the various transactions that took place between the witness and Emefiele’s wife.

Emefiele’s counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN), and the second defence counsel, Mr Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), did not object the admissibility of the documents.

The court, thereafter, admitted into evidence the certificate of identification, bundle of printed documents, following no objections from the defence.

The witness, thereafter, spoke into the documents and briefly explained the inflow and outflow of fund, purportedly sent from the CBN through Zenith Bank to Emefiele’s wife.

The prosecution also sought the indulgence of the court for the witness to write down the number in which she used to have conversations with Mrs Emefiele on an A4 paper which was admitted into evidence.

The witness, however, said that she could not remember some digits of the number by heart but she could recall it through her mobile phone.

The two defence counsel, however, objected to the witness, recalling the number through her phone.

Justice Rahman Oshodi had earlier in the proceeding granted  the application filed by the second defence counsel to recall the first prosecution witness, Monday Osazuwa.

EFCC had on April 8 arraigned Emefiele on 23 counts bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained and conferring corrupt advantage.

Also, his co-defendant Henry Omoile-Isioma, was arraigned on three counts bordering on acceptance of gift by agents.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.

The judge, however, adjourned the case until July 10 for continuation of trial.

Source: NAN

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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP, charged the defendants alongside the hospital with 11 counts bordering on organ harvesting.

Justice Kezziah Ogbonnaya fixed the date and vacated the previously fixed date, following the prosecuting counsel, Hassan Tahir’s application for an adjournment.

“We would have closed our case today but the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) is ill and could not make it to court to tender all the necessary documents. We hereby apply for an adjournment,” Tahir said.

The defence counsel, Afam Osigwe, SAN, however, applied for the court to shift the previous date of May 13 which was fixed at the inception of the matter to May 21 due to a planned trip.

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Earlier, a witness, who sells mobile phones, Abdullahi Mohammed, was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel.

Mohammed told the court that he had a shop in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.

“On Feb. 20, 2023, a 16-year-old boy came to my shop to buy a phone for N290,000.

“I gave him my bank details to make payment and I received a N500,000 transfer.

“I asked him why he overpaid me and he gave me an Opay account to send the balance of N210,000 back and he left my shop,” the witness said.

The prosecution alleged that Olorunlaye procurred two 16-year-old boys and a 25-year-old man, Aminu Yahuza for the removal of their kidneys at the said hospital located in Area 11, Garki, Abuja sometime in February 2023.

Tahir said that Ugochukwu, an Administrative Secretary at the hospital, assisted in the removal of the kidneys of the victims.

The prosecution further alleged that Otabor accommodated the victims for the removal of their kidneys while Abayomi, a surgeon at the hospital, performed the operations.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 20(2)(a)(3) of the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015 and punishable under same section(2)(b).

The defendants however pleaded not guilty.

Source: NAN

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Also said to have been invited in the letter signed by DCP Ukachi P. Opara are a House of Representatives member- elect, Ugochinyere Ikenga Imo and former deputy governor of the state, Gerald Irona.

The call to the IGP was made by a group which identified itself as Concerned CSOS and NGOs for Good Governance.

In a statement signed by Dr Chike Ogbonnaya, the group said the invitation was suspect, particularly coming a few days to the governorship election scheduled for Saturday.

The statement by the group reads in part:

“Without prejudice to the right of the police to do its work we wish to state as follows.

“1. The invitation of the said persons to appear before the police two days before the scheduled House of Assembly elections appears to be a calculated attempt to stop them from participating actively in the preparations for Saturday’s House of Assembly elections.

“2. We find it curious that this said invitation was not extended to them before now.

“3. We have taken notice that one of the said invitees, Ugochinyere Ikenga Imo, has been having running battles with the governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, and his government agents for some time now. Ugochinyere in the past had accused the governor and his agents of being involved in what has now come to be known as ”Omuma Magic” which is a strategy designed to rig elections.  But of more concern to us was the killing of the Uncle of Ugochinyere and the burning of houses and cars in his Akokwa village, Imo state residence of which he accused the state governor and his agents as being responsible a few weeks ago.

“4. We are aware that in over twenty years of his career, Emeka Ihedioha and Gerald Irona have never been involved in any acts of violence. Both have been known to be peace loving and responsible citizens.

“5. Taking all the circumstances into consideration, we hereby wish to state as follows:

“(a) We call on the Commissioner of Police of Imo State to withdraw the letter of invitation as it appears to have a political coloration and to avoid a breakdown of law and order.

“(b) We call on the Inspector General of Police to call the Commissioner of Police, Imo state Command to order.

“(c) We call on the National Security Adviser to intervene in the matter to provide a level playing field for all the political parties in the Saturday elections and to ensure free and fair elections.

“(d) We call on peace loving people of Imo State to maintain the peace while these issues are being resolved.”

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