A prosecution witness has testified that $6.23 million was withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria in early 2023 using fraudulent documents purportedly from the presidency, implicating former bank governor Godwin Emefiele in the ongoing trial.
Bashirudden Maishanu, an assistant director at the CBN and the 11th prosecution witness, gave his account on Thursday before Justice Hamza Muazu at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. The case is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Maishanu stated that the cash was removed from the CBN’s Garki branch on February 8, 2023. He explained that the process began in January when an individual named Alhaji Ahmed approached him.
Ahmed claimed to be working with a special committee in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and said he had been directed to liaise with Maishanu by Eric Ocheme, identified in court as Emefiele’s personal assistant during his tenure.
According to the witness, Ahmed later informed him that a presidential approval had been secured for the payment and that the final step required was the approval of then-Governor Emefiele.
The testimony suggests that forged documents were used to authorize the multi-million dollar transaction, which is now at the center of the fraud charges against the former CBN chief.
