By Abiola Olawale
Following the ongoing trial of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, over an alleged withdrawal of $6.2million from the covers of the apex bank, the Federal Government, (FG) has requested the assistance of the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to hunt and arrest three defendants.
The office of the Special Investigator of the CBN, Mr Jim Obazee, made the request on Monday after obtaining an order of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a letter issued by the head of operations of the office of the Special Investigator, Eloho Okpoziakpo, named the defendants as Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Ochene, as alleged conspirators to the said fraud.
The New Diplomat had reported that during one of the court proceedings, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had alleged that Emefiele illegally obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that the money was requested by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha “vide a letter dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/.”
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Mr Emefiele, in January 2023, forged a document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.
In the letter to INTERPOL, the office of the special Investigator of the CBN requested the international police agency to “watchlist” and place the three alleged fugitives on its “red notice” with a view to arrest and repatriate them.
The letter reads in part, “REQUEST TO WATCHLIST AND PLACING ON INTERPOL RED NOTICE THREE (3) DEFENDANTS
INVOLVED IN A CASE OF CONSPIRACY AND FRAUD
RE: (I) ADAMU ABUBAKAR
(II) IMAM ABUBAKAR
(III) ODOH ERIC OCHEME
Reference is made to the above subject.
2. The Special Investigator, appointed by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Related Entities and other Key Government Business Entities (KGBEs) kindly requests you to place the above-named individuals on INTERPOL RED NOTICE.
3. In the course of the Special Investigator’s assignment, Mr. Odoh Eric Ocheme, (a staff of the CBN) now at large and the other two accomplices, also now at large, were discovered to have conspired and forged documents in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria with which they stole about US $6,230,000 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars, in cash, from the coffers of the CBN.
4. Consequent upon the above, a charge was filed and warrants of arrest have been issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division presided over by Hon. Justice I.E. Ekwo in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/19/2024 B/w: Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Adamu Abubakar & 2 Ors for the arrest and production of the Defendants named above for their arraignment. The data page of Odoh Eric Ocheme’s Nigerian International Passport No. B50082800, duly certified true copies of the warrants and the Order of the Court to that effect are hereby attached.
5. The Special Investigator therefore pray you to use your good offices to request that the Defendants be placed on INTERPOL RED NOTICE with a view to apprehending and repatriating them from any of the INTERPOL member states to which they may have flown.”
