In a recent development at the Lagos High Court, John Ikechukwu Ayoh, a former director at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), brought forth serious allegations against the former governor of the apex bank, Godwin Emefiele, during an ongoing trial for abuse of office.
Ayoh’s testimony, presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, April 29, revealed intriguing details.
Ayoh clarified that although he served at the apex bank from June 2014 to April 2019, he did not directly report to Emefiele but rather to Adebayo Adelabu, a former CBN deputy governor who currently holds the position of Minister of Power.
In his role as the head of procurement and support services (PSS) at the CBN, Ayoh disclosed that he was responsible for receiving bids and selecting successful bidders for contracts. Shockingly, Ayoh admitted to accepting bribes from contractors to secure contracts, following instructions allegedly from Emefiele.
Ayoh stated that Emefiele’s personal assistant, John Adetona, would routinely collect kickbacks from contractors on behalf of the former CBN governor.
Ayoh admitted to personally receiving substantial sums, including $400,000 and $200,000 in cash, from contractors as gratification for awarding them contracts, which he then handed over to Emefiele’s PA.
These allegations come amidst a 26-count charge trial against Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile. Both defendants have entered pleas of not guilty in response to the charges.
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The proceedings shed light on serious accusations of corruption within the upper echelons of the Central Bank, raising significant concerns about the integrity of governance and financial management. The court’s deliberations are anticipated to reveal more insights into the alleged misconduct and its broader implications.
“The first transaction was $400,000 and the second one was $200,000 in cash. I was in my house when the first envelope was brought to me. His assistant was asked to collect the money,” Ayoh revealed.
“One of the vendors had a contract with CBN which involved the implementation of data storage and infrastructure.
“The first package was collected in my residence at Lekki phase one, while the second package was collected at the head office in Lagos.”
During cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Emefiele, Ayoh said he was under duress from the former CBN governor to accept gratifications on his behalf.
“No, I was under duress from my boss (referring to Emefiele). We were faced with tremendous pressure to bend the rule,” the witness said when asked about aiding the commission of a crime by collecting the money.
Asked if he indicated in his statement with the EFCC that the money was meant to influence the award of contracts, the witness said some parts of his statement implied that.
“Who told you that it (the money) is for gratification,” Emefiele’s counsel asked.
“The cash is for gratification to the governor for awarding the contracts. He (Emefiele) asked for it. He won’t approve the contract without gratification,” the witness said.
During the court proceedings, the witness clarified that he had been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and subsequently granted bail, refuting claims of arrest.
Emefiele’s legal representative suggested that the witness might have opted to testify against the former CBN governor to avoid facing charges from the EFCC.
Following the cross-examination of the witness, Emefiele’s counsel requested a fresh interim bail for the ex-CBN governor, citing difficulties in meeting the earlier bail conditions set by the court.
Emefiele’s lawyer, Ojo, informed the court that the initial interim bail had expired on Monday and requested a new interim bail until May 17, emphasizing the challenges in fulfilling the previous conditions.
The presiding judge, Rahman Oshodi, approved the request and instructed Ojo to submit an affidavit confirming Emefiele’s availability for the next court date.
The trial was adjourned to May 3, 9, and 17 for further proceedings.
