A WITNESS for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court that $2 million was recovered from a lawyer representing former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, during an investigation into alleged financial infractions linked to the former apex bank chief.

Testifying before the court, the witness, identified as Jaiyeoba, said the lawyer, Omeife, acknowledged during interrogation that the funds belonged to Emefiele.

According to the EFCC witness, Omeife also revealed that he frequently received money from Eric Ocheme, who served as Emefiele’s personal assistant. He stated that the funds were used to purchase properties and carry out renovations on some existing buildings allegedly associated with the former CBN governor.

The witness went on to outline several assets that investigators believe were acquired or developed with the funds.

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Among the properties mentioned were detached duplexes located at No. 17B Hakeem Odumosu Street in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. Investigators also identified a bungalow and an undeveloped parcel of land measuring about 1,919.592 square metres on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Jaiyeoba further informed the court that a four-bedroom duplex located at 12A Probyn Road in Ikoyi was also traced to the alleged transactions.

Other assets listed during the proceedings included an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State. In addition, eight units of semi-detached apartments situated on Adekunle Lawal Road in Ikoyi were mentioned as part of the properties under investigation.

A detached duplex on Bank Road in Ikoyi was equally identified by investigators as being linked to the funds in question.

Emefiele is currently facing a 20-count amended charge filed by the EFCC in June 2023. The charges include allegations of criminal breach of trust, forgery, obtaining by false pretence, procurement fraud, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The anti-graft agency also alleges that the former CBN governor authorised the payment of $6.23 million from the CBN vault in Abuja in 2023. The payment was said to have been approved under the claim that it was meant to cover expenses for foreign election observers.

However, prosecutors told the court that the expenditure was allegedly based on a fictitious claim, insisting that the supposed payments for international election observers were not genuine.

Earlier witnesses

A senior bank official had told a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in January 2026 that more than $6 million was removed from the CBN through forged payment approvals.

Testifying before Justice Hamza Muazu in Abuja, an Assistant Director at the CBN, Mr Bashirudden Maishanu, had said that the transaction bypassed the bank’s strict internal controls and ended in a cash payout of $6.23 million from the Garki branch on February 8, 2023.

Mr Maishanu, the 11th prosecution witness called by the EFCC, said the deal began weeks earlier when he was contacted by a man named Alhaji Ahmed. According to him, Ahmed claimed to be part of a special committee in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and said he was acting on instructions from Eric Ocheme, described as Emefiele’s personal assistant at the time.

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The witness told the court that Ahmed said the funds had presidential backing and only required clearance from the former CBN governor to proceed. He added that Ahmed insisted the money be released in cash and asked him to either escort the funds or find someone who would.

Similarly, a former Director of Procurement and Support Services at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr John Ikechukwu Ayoh, had told the court he collected $600,000 bribe on Emefieles behalf.

According to him, the bribe money was allegedly paid by contractors in two installments of $400,000 and $200,000.

At the resumed hearing at Lagos High Court on April 30, 2024, the EFCC presented Mr Ayoh as the second witness in the case against Mr Emefiele.

Mr Ayoh, who claimed to have worked with Mr Emefiele between June 2014 and April 2019, said he collected the bribes under pressure, alleging that Mr Emefiele usually sent his personal assistant named John Adetona to collect bribes from contractors on his behalf.

“I did admit in my statement that I was forced to commit the crime. I don’t know the exact word I used in my statement, but I said we were all forced with tremendous pressure to bend the rules,” he said.