At the Ikeja Special Offences Court, Monday Osasuwa, former despatch rider for ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, testified about handling millions of dollars for his former boss without maintaining any records. Under re-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Osasuwa disclosed that Emefiele explicitly instructed him not to document the funds collected from various sources, an order he followed closely.
Osasuwa, the first prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), detailed that he would deliver the money directly to Emefiele or, in his absence, to a second defendant, Henry Omoile. He confirmed that he was merely following instructions from Emefiele, emphasizing, "I only obeyed my boss," despite being unaware of any formal obligation to conduct such errands as part of his CBN position.
In his testimony, Osasuwa explained that the EFCC later charged him with money laundering due to his involvement in handling the unrecorded funds. He stated that he had collected over $3 million in tranches at Emefiele’s request. Both Emefiele and Omoile face multiple counts of abuse of office, including charges of corruption, money laundering, and fraudulent asset acquisition, with Emefiele released on N50 million bail.
Emefiele’s charges, filed by the EFCC on April 8, include abuse of office, accepting gratifications, and receiving property obtained fraudulently. Both defendants have pled not guilty, setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle in the coming sessions.
