A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama heard on Thursday how investigators recovered $2,045,000 cash and property documents from Collins Omeke, said to be a lawyer to the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

An investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), David Jaiyeola, disclosed this while testifying at the resumed hearing in Emefiele’s ongoing trial on charges of alleged procurement fraud.

Led in evidence by prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Jaiyeola, who featured as the prosecution’s 12th witness, gave details of the property to which the documents were related.

He listed the property document recovered from the lawyer to include, 17B Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lekki, Lagos; a plot of land measuring 1,919.5square metres at Oyinka Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, Lagos; an industrial complex under construction in Agbor, Delta State; eight uncompleted detached apartment on Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi.

According to him, others were a detached duplex on Bank Road, Lagos and a four-bedroom duplex at 12A Probyn Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Jaiyeola further told the court that Omeke told investigators that cash found in his possession were given to him by Emefiele through his personal assistant, Mr Eric Ocheme.

He added, “He (Omeke) was asked how he came about the cash and he said it belonged to the defendant (Emefiele) who sent it to him (Omeke) through Mr Eric, who was the PA to the defendant.

“He also said he had other cash sum.im addition to the one found with him but he had used some of them for the development of the properties.”

The witness added that after a forfeiture proceeding was initiated before a court in Lagos, the defendant came to court to show cause why the property should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.

He informed the court that Emefiele subsequently made statements to EFCC. The statements were tendered by the prosecutor and we’re admitted as exhibit in the case.

The witness added that EFCC received the statement of account of Archtekon Nigeria Limited from Zenith Bank in the course of investigation.

Reading from the statement of account earlier tendered by the prosecution, Jaiyeola informed that on March 5, 2020 there was a cash inflow of N52,983,526.25 from CBN.

He added, “We found over N350million received from CBN. This was further confirmed by Mr MacCombo Omeile, an in-law of the defendant, as a proceeds of contracts from CBN.”

At a point during the proceedings,

Oyedepo sought an adjournment to enable him properly certify a document he wanted to tender through the witness at the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

Oyedepo equally informed the court that he has a meeting to attend, a position defence lawyer, Matthew Burkaa frowned at.

Burkaa said the defence team and the defendant all came from Lagos for the case, adding that the document the prosecutor wanted to further certify was first certified on September 21, 2024.

He noted that the same document had been in the possession of the prosecution for almost two years now and never deemed it fit to do the necessary thing with it since then.

Burkaa then urged the court to close the evidence of the PW12 and allow the defence to cross examine him.

The trial judge, Justice Hamza Muazu however told the prosecution to always do what is right.

The judge then proceeded to grant the adjournment sought by the prosecution, but insisted that the right thing must always be done and adjourned further hearing till March 16 and 17.

(The Nation)

Update news