The Assistant Manager of Zenith Bank Plc, Ms Ifeoma Ogbonna, yesterday told a Lagos Special Offences Court that the embattled former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, through Zenith Bank Plc, moved unspecified millions of naira to his wife, Mrs Margret Emefiele.
This was done through firms, who are CBN’s vendors: Answabian Resources and Solution, Limelight Dimensional Service Limited, Omec Support Service Limited and Mango Farm.
Led-in-evidence by the lead counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the fifth prosecution witness (Ogbonnaya) narrated to Justice Rahman Oshodi that she received instructions from Margret Emefiele to transfer the funds to the firms’ Zenith Bank accounts.
Recall that Emefiele is standing trial over abuse of office, alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud while in office. He was charged alongside a co-defendant, Henry Omoile.
However, in her testimony, she said she joined Zenith Bank Plc in 2006 as a Business Relationship Manager but had no personal relationship with the former CBN governor, Emefiele.
She noted that whenever Madam Emefiele sends them instructions or sends instruction through the other two people that works with them, she usually confirm from her. She also said she usually chat with her via Whatsapp. She, however, said she managed the various companies’ accounts through which the monies were sent to.
“Mrs Margaret Emefiele 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 are processed.”
Ogbonna further told the court that between March 9 and 11, 2015, the account received cash flow from CBN to the tune of N1,792,593 and N18,869, 400.
“On February 22, 2021, there was a cash flow of N42,988,758.75 from CBN, on July 21, 2022, there was a cash flow of N37,279,964.70. On October 21, 2022, there was a credit flow of N44,641,077.60, on May 10, 2023, there was a cash flow of N93,100,000 from CBN, among others.
Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN) and the second defense counsel, Kazeem Gbadamosi (SAN), did not object the admissibility of the documents.
Justice Oshodi subsequently adjourned the case to July 10 for continuation of trial.
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