$6.2m fraud: FG asks Interpol to nab CBN official, two others

The special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu has requested the Interpol National Central Bureau to place a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff member and two others on its Red Notice. This follows the discovery of forged documents in the name of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari to allegedly steal the sum of $6.23 from the […]

The special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu has requested the Interpol National Central Bureau to place a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff member and two others on its Red Notice.

This follows the discovery of forged documents in the name of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari to allegedly steal the sum of $6.23 from the CBN before the 2023 general election.

Earlier on Tuesday, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, had told the FCT High Court that the documents used to pay $6.2 million to election observers were forged.

The ex-SGF stated this when he appeared as the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the former CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, for alleged $6.2 million fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an amended 20-count charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, conferring undue advantage, and breach of trust among others preferred against Emefiele.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Mustapha denied knowledge of the transaction even after leaving office and he only learnt about it in December 2023.

When he was shown the approval document from the office of the president, Mustapha said, “On the face value of the document, I can say having served five years and seven months, this document did not emanate from the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Federal Executive Council (FEC) decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.

“I am the custodian of the record of FEC, for that reason, the president cannot refer any executive conclusion to me.

“All the years I have served, I have never heard of the term special appropriation provision. The two terms known to me are appropriation as provided for by the Appropriation Act passed by the national assembly. The second is when the government finds a gap, it brings a supplementary appropriation.

“In all the correspondence I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate. The signature is a failed attempt at reproducing President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature. But I will leave that to the experts.”

In a letter, the special investigator listed Odoh Eric Ocheme, who is a staff member of the CBN, Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar as three names sent to Interpol.

The letter dated February 12, 2024 and signed by Eloho Okpoziakpo, the head of operations, office of the special investigator, was addressed to the assistant inspector-general of police, national central bureau (NCB) and Interpol.

It reads: “In the course of the Special Investigator’s assignment, Mr. Odoh Eric Ocheme, (a staff of the CBN) now at large and the other two accomplices, also now at large, were discovered to have conspired and forged documents in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria with which they stole about US$6,230,000 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars, in cash, from the coffers of the CBN.”