Posted by Pelumi Olajengbesi, a human rights lawyer, has stated that the EFCC should conduct an audit of all government officials who were under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in light of the shocking revelations that have emerged from the trial of ex-Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
The managing partner of the Abuja-based law firm, Law Corridor, expressed gratitude to the EFCC on Friday for bringing to light the alleged forgery of signatures belonging to Buhari and Boss Mustapha. The former CBN governor is currently facing allegations of a $6.2 million fraud involving foreign observers in the last election.
“We must stop the audacity and criminal influence of those in power,” Olajengbesi declared.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ought to conduct a comprehensive audit of key players who were involved during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, not limited to the former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele. Bad behavior should have a deterrent.
The recent suspension of Ahmad Salihijo, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency, on charges of alleged N1.2 billion fraud is another example of the flagrant misuse of power by individuals who were employed by Buhari.
There was massive corruption under the Buhari administration, and Emefiele and everyone else who worked there should be subject to a thorough audit and given an opportunity to clear their identities.
An EFCC official and forensic document examiner named Bamaiyi Haruna was the most recent of three witnesses to testify against Emefiele during the trial. Haruna informed the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama on Thursday that he had examined documents used to release $6.2 million from the CBN in February 2023 and found that they were forged.
Another witness, the former SGF Mustapha, testified that he and former president Buhari were unaware of the $6.2 million. He further claimed that the money had been transferred using a forgery of Buhari’s signature. Deputy director Onyeka Ogbu of the central bank was the third witness.
The EFCC arraigned Emefiele on amended 20 charges on June 18, 2023, in which he was accused of fraudulently transferring $6.2 million from the CBN vault while impersonating Mustapha, as reported by the GODZGENERALBLOG.
The EFCC claimed in their accusations that on February 8, 2023, Emefiele conspired with a fugitive named Odoh Ocheme to steal $6.2 million from the CBN, using a letter from the SGF dated January 26, 2023, with the reference number SGF.43/L.01/.