A prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has told the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja that $6.23 million was allegedly withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) using forged approval documents during the tenure of former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele.
The witness, Bashirudden Muhammed Maishanu, an Assistant Director at the CBN, gave the testimony while appearing as the 11th prosecution witness before Justice Hamza Muazu in the ongoing trial involving the former apex bank governor.
Maishanu informed the court that the cash withdrawal took place on February 8, 2023, at the CBN branch in Garki, Abuja, and was presented as funds meant for election-related purposes ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to him, he was initially approached in January 2023 by a man identified as Alhaji Ahmed, who claimed to be working with a “special committee” linked to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF). Ahmed allegedly stated that the request was backed by top-level approvals.
The witness said Ahmed later informed him that the transaction had also received approval from the office of the then CBN Governor, adding that the funds were urgently required and must be disbursed in cash, a request he found unusual.
Maishanu told the court that documents shown to him included letters purportedly bearing approvals from the Presidency and senior government officials. However, he said he later discovered that the documents used for the transaction were forged.
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He explained that although he did not personally accompany the cash withdrawal, an associate of his went along with Ahmed to the bank to facilitate the process. The money was eventually released, despite the size of the transaction.
The witness further testified that after the withdrawal, $2.5 million was taken away by Ahmed, while the remaining funds were temporarily held by himself and others. He described the volume of cash involved as highly unusual and said it later raised serious concerns.
Maishanu told the court that his suspicions deepened after discussions with investigators, where it was allegedly confirmed that signatures on the approval documents including those attributed to senior government officials were not genuine.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel, the witness admitted that he did not personally see Emefiele sign any approval for the transaction and never met the former CBN governor regarding the withdrawal.
He also clarified that all communications he received concerning the transaction came through Eric Ocheme, who was described as a former personal assistant to Emefiele, and not directly from the ex-CBN boss.
Justice Muazu subsequently adjourned the matter to a later date for the continuation of trial, as proceedings in the high-profile case continue to attract significant public and legal attention.
