ABUJA — A former executive assistant to embattled former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has detailed in court how he personally delivered $400,000 in cash to his former boss in Lagos, raising fresh questions about alleged financial misconduct during Emefiele’s tenure.
Testifying before the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, the aide, Mr. John Adetola, recounted how he acted on instructions conveyed via WhatsApp from Mr. Eric Odoh, another personal assistant to Emefiele based in Abuja. According to Adetola, the message directed him to collect a cash parcel from Mr. John Ayoh, the former Director of Information Technology at the CBN.
“I received a WhatsApp message from Eric Odoh in 2018 asking me to go to Mr. John Ayoh’s residence in Lekki to pick up an envelope,” Adetola told the court. “I went there, received the cash—$400,000—and delivered it directly to Mr. Emefiele at the Lagos office.”
Adetola further testified that he had regular access to Emefiele and communicated with him through phone calls, emails, and in-person meetings. He also confirmed knowing members of the former governor’s family and identified Mr. Henry Omoile, the second defendant in the trial, as a resident of Emefiele’s private residence.
The prosecution submitted WhatsApp chat logs as evidence, corroborating Adetola’s claims. The documents were admitted by the court without objection.
Emefiele and Omoile are currently facing 26 counts bordering on abuse of office, corruption, and financial misconduct, involving alleged misappropriation of $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
The case, prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), continues to draw national attention. The court has adjourned further hearing to Tuesday 27, May 2025.