I Collected More Than $1 Million In Cash For Emefiele But He Never For Once Said ‘Take This’ – CBN Employee

An employee of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Monday Osazuwa, has narrated how he collected millions of dollars in cash for the former Governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele.

Osazuwa made the revelation on Friday before an Ikeja Special Offences Court while being led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

The CBN employee said the highest amount he collected at once was one million dollars in cash, and some weeks later, he also collected $850,000, $750,000 and $400,000 cash in tranches.

Ozazuwa narrated that he is employed as a senior supervisor with the CBN but he knew Emefiele when he was a dispatch rider at Zenith Bank in 2001 before he joined the CBN in 2014.

He said Emefiele was the Managing Director of Zenith Bank Plc while he was working as a dispatch rider in the bank.

The witness said he knew Emefiele, who was his boss, while at Zenith Bank and that he later joined him at the CBN when he was appointed as a senior supervisor (full time) in recording and filing of documents while working in the CBN governor’s office in Lagos.

“I was still working in the CBN governor’s office while I was appointed as a full staff member and we usually communicated through Whatsapp and email.

“I function as a senior supervisor, recording and filing with other official roles.

“I recall that in 2020, when he was outside Lagos, he called me that he would give me a number that a man had something I should collect from him and that the man would give me the number of another person.

“When I got to the man’s office, I was given an envelope. I counted the money and the man said I should give it to my boss,” he said.

The witness further told the court that the first defendant used to collect money by himself anytime he was in Lagos but anytime the defendant was not around, he would tell him to give the money to the second defendant.

Osazuwa added that Emefiele sent him to MINL Ltd. when he was with Zenith Bank.

“This company is situated at Isolo, the first defendant did send me to collect cheques from the company from Mr Monday and when I collected the cheque from Mr Monday, I would give it back to Emefiele and he would lodge the money into Dumies Oil and Gas.”

According to him, Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoile, lived in the residence of the former CBN governor.

He stated that when he collected money for his boss, he would take it to his residence at Iru Close, Ikoyi.

“Whenever I received the money and take it to my boss’s residence, Mr Emefiele would tell me to give it to the second defendant whenever he was not at home.

“I did not keep a record of transactions because the instruction he gave me was that I should collect the money and bring the money to his house.

“The highest amount I collected was one million dollars all in cash and some weeks later, the businessman also called me to collect $850,000, $750,000 and $400,000 cash in tranches.

“I have never been rewarded, paid or given anything because I am doing it out of faithfulness and he knows it but he has never for once said, ‘take this’,” he said.

Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Abdulakeem Labi-Lawal, the witness confirmed to the court that he had been working with the defendant since 2002.

According to the witness, Emefiele passed instructions to him through the second defendant and that he had been collecting cheques for Dumies Oil and Gas.

“I started collecting cheques for Dumies Oil and Gas when I was in Zenith Bank.

“I cannot calculate the exact year I have been collecting the cheques but it all started when the first defendant was the Managing Director at Zenith Bank and I was working at Zenith Bank,” he said.

Naija News reports that the EFCC on April 8 arraigned Emefiele on fresh 23 counts bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand, receiving property fraudulently obtained and conferring corrupt advantage.

Emefiele’s co-defendant was arraigned on three counts bordering on acceptance of gift by agents.

The judge adjourned the case until April 29 for trial and hearing of application for closed-session.