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I didn’t keep records of bribe collected for Emefiele, witness tells court

Published

1 year ago

October 29, 2024

Godwin Emefiele

I didn’t keep records of bribe collected for Emefiele, witness tells court

A prosecution witness, Monday Osazuwa, yesterday, told a Lagos Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, that he did not keep any record of the money he allegedly collected as bribe on behalf of the former Central Bank of Nigeira, CBN, Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who is standing trial, along with one Henry Omoile, before the court for alleged abuse of office and money laundering.

Osazuwa, a dispatch rider, had previously told the court in his evidence-in-chief on April 12, 2024, that he collected over $3 million of bribe money in different tranches on behalf of Emefiele.

Responding to questions from Emefiele’s lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, after the court granted a request that he be recalled for further re-examination, Osazuwa told the court, yesterday, that he didn’t have the records of the alleged bribe money, stating that he was instructed by Emefiele not to keep any evidence of such transactions.

Asked whether at any time during his statement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, he produced for the operatives any written instructions by Emefiele to him in the course of the unofficial assignment he ran for the first defendant, he answered that he wrote it in his statement.

Asked if he provided any documents to the EFCC showing where he recorded the monies he collected for Emefiele, he said: “There is no document produced. The instructions given to me by the first defendant was that I should not write anything down.”

The witness also said that he didn’t have a document by either the first or second defendants acknowledging the receipt of money from him.

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Asked if he knew the importance of keeping recordings of financial transactions, the witness said it was for record keeping and future reference, but that he did not keep any records.

“I did not produce any record, I obeyed the instructions based on the money I collected for him,” he said.

The defense counsel then applied that the witness be given the extrajudicial statements he made on February 13,15, 23,2024, before the EFCC, to refresh his memory.

After going through the statement Osazuwa said,” I did not state it in my statement, but he instructed me not to record it. He instructed me that whenever he was not around I should just go straight and give it to the second defendant.”

Asked how long he was detained in EFCC’s custody, he said he was detained for one week and thereafter admitted to bail.

Osazuwa told the court that there was no witness when he handed over the money to the first defendant (Emefiele).

On cross-examination by the second defense counsel Adeyinka Kotoye, SAN, asked the witness to clarify where he stated in his evidence that he and the second defendant counted the money in the envelope he collected for Emefiele. “It was Mr. Raja who counted the money,” he said.

Earlier the fifth prosecution witness a business relationship manager with Zenith Bank Plc, Mrs. Ifeoma Ogbonnaya, in the conclusion of her testimony, said she gave the statements of accounts of Comec, Limelight, and Amswin Resources Limited addressed to Mrs. Margaret Emefiele(Emefiele’s wife) to the regulators.

She also said that of all the documents made available to her as the representative of Zenith Bank, there is nothing in the document connecting Emefiele.

Ogbonnaya further also told the court that she had no dealings with the second defendant (Henry Isioma-Omoile).

At the conclusion of her testimony, Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the matter till tomorrow for continuation of trial.

I didn’t keep records of bribe collected for Emefiele, witness tells court

Related Topics:Bribe court Emefiele Featured

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Social Media Star Peller Arrested in Lagos for Live-Streamed Car Crash

Published

6 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigerian TikTok star Peller

Social Media Star Peller Arrested in Lagos for Live-Streamed Car Crash

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested popular social media influencer Habeeb Hamzat, known as Peller, following a viral video showing him driving recklessly and crashing his vehicle during a live-stream.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, the arrest comes after public outrage over the dangerous road crash, which occurred on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The police described Peller’s actions as life-threatening, endangering both himself and other road users.

“The Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained Habeeb Hamzat aka ‘PELLER’ for further investigation, following the viral video in which he was seen driving recklessly, resulting in a dangerous accident while live-streaming,” the statement partly read.

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The incident is now under investigation by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), with the outcome to be made public. The suspect is expected to face charges in a court of competent jurisdiction.

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, CP Olohundare Jimoh, warned social media influencers and members of the public against using online platforms to engage in reckless or unlawful behaviour. “Such lawlessness will not be tolerated, and the full weight of the law will be applied on any offender,” he stated.

The crash has reignited debate over the rising trend of risky stunts by content creators, with many Nigerians calling for stricter enforcement to curb similar incidents.

Authorities continue to emphasize road safety, urging all drivers to comply with traffic regulations and warning that anyone endangering lives on the state’s roads, regardless of social status or online influence, will face prosecution.

This latest incident highlights the urgent need for responsible social media usage, public safety awareness, and stronger law enforcement against dangerous behaviour on Nigerian roads.

Social Media Star Peller Arrested in Lagos for Live-Streamed Car Crash

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Femi Falana Demands Arrest of Soldiers, 400 Terror Financiers Shielded Under Previous Administration

Published

6 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Trends Admin

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana

Femi Falana Demands Arrest of Soldiers, 400 Terror Financiers Shielded Under Previous Administration

LAGOS — Prominent human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, has petitioned the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, demanding the immediate arrest and prosecution of 10 soldiers accused of killing three police officers in Taraba State, as well as 400 alleged terrorism financiers whose cases were reportedly abandoned under the previous administration.

In his petition, Falana accused former AGF Abubakar Malami, SAN, of deliberately shielding the suspects from justice despite “overwhelming evidence.” Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

“The withdrawal of terrorism charges against these soldiers and the failure to prosecute hundreds of terror financiers amount to a grave abuse of prosecutorial powers and a betrayal of public trust,” Falana said.

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Falana recalled that in August 2019, 10 soldiers led by an Army Captain ambushed and killed three police officers in Jalingo, Taraba State, after they had arrested notorious kidnapper Bala Hamisu, also known as Wadume. Although the soldiers were initially charged with terrorism offences at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the case was abruptly terminated after Malami entered a nolle prosequi, which Falana described as unconstitutional.

He noted that while the United Arab Emirates convicted six Nigerians for financing Boko Haram—two sentenced to life imprisonment and four jailed for 10 years—Nigerian authorities failed to bring a single financier to justice.

Falana accused Malami of failing to prosecute the 400 suspected terrorism financiers arrested after investigations by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and Department of State Services (DSS), despite assurances that trials would commence after a judicial workers’ strike.

“The case files of these suspected financiers are reportedly still in the Office of the Attorney-General, while many of the suspects have regained their freedom. Nigeria cannot win the war against terrorism while protecting those who finance and execute it. The era of impunity must end,” Falana added.

Femi Falana Demands Arrest of Soldiers, 400 Terror Financiers Shielded Under Previous Administration

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Updated: Nationwide Electricity faces threat as Gas Companies Cut Supplies

Published

7 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Trends Admin

Updated: Nationwide Electricity faces threat as Gas Companies Cut Supplies

Nigerians may experience power shortages this Yuletide as gas-to-power debt issues disrupt electricity generation across the country.

Gas companies have begun cutting supplies to thermal power plants over unpaid debts, forcing electricity distribution companies (DisCos) to reduce daily power supply.

On Tuesday, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) informed customers across the South-East that low system frequency, caused by gas supply constraints, had necessitated load shedding by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). EEDC subsidiaries affected include MainPower, TransPower, FirstPower, NewEra, and EastLand.

Similarly, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company confirmed that poor generation and allocation from generation companies (GenCos) were causing load shedding in its franchise areas.

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The Association of Power Generation Companies (APGC) confirmed that gas producers had started cutting supply due to outstanding debts owed by the government, despite a recent approval of N185 billion by the Federal Government for payment of arrears to gas suppliers, announced on December 4, 2025, by Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Ekperikpe Ekpo.

The Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) further disclosed that gas pipeline vandalism in the upstream network has worsened the situation, causing reduced output from gas-fired power plants and a decline in national grid generation capacity. Emergency measures, including increased hydroelectric dispatch and voltage control interventions, have been activated to maintain system stability.

With over 80 per cent of grid-connected power plants relying on natural gas, the sector remains highly vulnerable to gas supply disruptions, raising fears of sustained power outages during the festive season unless liquidity issues and infrastructure vulnerabilities are urgently addressed.

The current development signals a critical need for government intervention, stakeholder coordination, and investment in gas infrastructure to prevent widespread electricity shortages across Nigeria.