- Dispatch Rider: I knew Emefiele since when he was MD of Zenith Bank…Exposes ex-CBN Gov’s Many Dirty Sins
By Abiola Olawale
A dispatch rider, Monday Osazuwa, on Friday, narrated how he picked up over $3m cash in tranches for the embattled Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele.
Osazuwa who spoke before the Special Offences Court in Lagos State testified that Emefiele allegedly contacted him to pick up $1m, $850,000, $750,000, $400,000 cash in tranches.
Osazuwa, who was led in evidence in chief by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s counsel, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), told the court that he had been a dispatch rider at Zenith Bank since 2001, before joining the CBN as a contract staff member in 2014.
The witness said Emefiele was the Managing Director of Zenith Bank while he worked there as a dispatch rider.
Osazuwa who testified before the presiding judge, Justice Raman Oshodi said Emefiele was his boss while in Zenith Bank, before he later joined him in the CBN.
Osazuwa said: “I was still working in the governor’s office when I was appointed a full-time staff member, and we usually communicated through WhatsApp and email.
“I performed as a senior supervisor, recording and filing with other official roles.
“I could recall that, in 2020, when he was outside Lagos, Emefiele called me and gave me a number that a man had something I would collect from him, and that the man would give me the number of another person.
“When I got to the man’s office, I was given an envelope. I counted the money (in it), and was told to give it to my boss.”
The witness further told the court that Emefiele usually collected money alone whenever he was in Lagos.
According to him, any time the defendant was not around, Emefiele would tell him (Osazuwa) to give the money to the second defendant, Henry Omoile.
Osazuwa added that Emefiele sent him to MINL Limited when he was with Zenith Bank.
He added, “This company is situated at Isolo. The first defendant(Emefiele) do send me to collect cheques from the company from Mr. Monday, and when I collected the cheque from Mr. Monday, I would give it back to Emefiele, and he would lodge the money into the account of Dummies Oil and Gas.
“I did not keep a record of the transactions, because he instructed me that I should collect the money and bring it to his house.
“The highest amount I collected was $1m, all in cash. Some weeks later, the businessman also called me, and I collected $850,000, $750,000, and $400,000 in cash in different tranches.
“I have never been rewarded, paid, or given anything. I was doing it out of faithfulness, and he knows it, but he never for once said, ‘Take this’,” the witness said.
The New Diplomat reports Emefiele is being tried for alleged abuse of office and fraud to the tune of $4.5bn and N2.8bn, respectively.
EFCC slammed a fresh 26-count charge against Emefiele and one of his allies, Omole.
The charge, marked ID/23787c/2024, dated April 3, 2024, was filed by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
EFCC alleged that Emefiele committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos.
Emefiele is also facing trial on counts bordering on accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, receipt of property fraudulently obtained, and conferring corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
The commission alleged that Emefiele “directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.”
However, on Friday, Justice Oshodi admitted Emefiele to N50m bail with two sureties in like sum.
He held that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have three years of tax payment with the Lagos State Government.
Oshodi also said that the sureties must show proper identification and be registered in the Lagos State Bail Management System.
The judge also said that he was satisfied with the bail conditions of N1m earlier granted to Emefiele’s co-defendant, Henry Isioma-Omoil, who is standing trial in another charge before Justice Olufunke Sule-Hamzat of the Yaba High Court.
