753 houses trial: EFCC witness denies taking direct instructions from Emefiele

A witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Richard Agulu, has told the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, that he did not take instructions for payment into companies’ accounts directly from former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, in respect of the disputed 753 housing units in Abuja.

Agulu who is third prosecution witness, PW3, made the clarifications on Tuesday during cross-examination by Mathew Burkaa, SAN, lead counsel to Emefiele.

It was during the continuation of Emefiele’s trial on an eight-count charge bordering on unlawful acquisition of mass housing estate containing 753 of housing  units and apartments in Abuja.

The former CBN governor was also accused of conspiring with his former  Aide, Eric Ocheme, to illegally acquire the property and control billions of Naira.

During the cross-examination, the witness admitted transferring over N5 billion without following due process into the account of two companies, Ifeadigo and Kelvito Investment.

He said due process or banking procedures were not followed because the transfer transactions into the two companies were carried out outside the banking hours.

Agulu further told the court that instruction to carry out the transfers was obtained from one Eric Ocheme, said to be a Personal Assistant to the defendant.

Answering a question, the witness admitted depositing cash into customers  accounts and indicating in the narrations that it was done by the account owners.

He admitted that he was not put on trial by EFCC despite circumventing the banking procedures in the cash lodgments he carried out.

Answering another question, the witness said he got an oral waiver from the Zenith Bank Head of Operation, Macauly Iheaoronye, to effect the cash lodgment  without following due process.

Confronted by the defence counsel with the Operational Policy Procedures of the Zenith Bank, the witness said the transactions without due process were carried out because of the peculiar situation at the time.

Also answering another question, the witness said he did not have physical contact with the defendant (Emefiele) throughout the transactions and that in his own statement to the EFCC, he never claimed delivering payment receipts to the defendant.

The defence counsel upon conclusion of cross-examination applied to the court to take a judicial notice of the demeanour of the witness in willfully and deliberately refusing to answer questions in respect of  his participation in the bank transactions.

The prosecution counsel, Abbas Mohammed, objected to the request, adding that it is the sole responsibility of the court to take judicial notice of whether a witness is holding back information or not.

Meanwhile, Justice Yusuf Halilu has fixed November 3 for continuation of trial.

Emefiele was put on trial on an eight-count charge by EFCC bordering on allegedly having control of property reasonably suspected to be unlawfully obtained.

He was charged along with one Eric Ocheme, said to be at large, in the charge marked FCT/HC/CR/358/2025.

The defendants were also accused by the EFCC of unlawfully keeping in their possession billions of naira in proxy accounts in Zenith Bank.

Emefiele was alleged to have, sometime in January 2021, forged a document titled, “Irrevocable Power of Attorney Between MG Properties Limited and H and Y Business Global Limited” with the intention of causing it to be believed that the said titled document was executed by or by the authority of H and Y Business Global Limited.

The offences, according to the EFCC, contravened the provisions of Sections 319, 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.

Emefiele, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read in the open court.

753 houses trial: EFCC witness denies taking direct instructions from Emefiele