How secret Whatsapp messages link Emefiele to suspected $600,000 kickback

The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, admitted more documents as exhibits in the ongoing trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

The judge, Rahman Oshodi, dismissed the objections of the defence counsel before admitting the documents as Exhibit G.

The prosecuting lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), continued the examination of Alvan Gurumnaan, an operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who provided fresh insights into evidence uncovered during the investigation.

According to Mr Gurumnaan, EFCC investigators analysed WhatsApp messages contained in Exhibit G, where one Mr Henry instructed John Adetola to give $400,000 to “Oga,” believed to be the first defendant.

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“Henry told Adetola to speak with ‘Oga’ on WhatsApp if possible,” the witness said. “During interrogation, Adetola explained that the conversation referred to his meeting with Ayo, a personal assistant to the CBN governor, to deliver $400,000.”

The EFCC is prosecuting Mr Emefiele alongside a co-defendant, Henry Omoile, on charges of fraud involving $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion in total.

In the case, the former CBN governor is charged with counts of receiving gratification and making corrupt demands, while his co-defendant is facing charges related to the unlawful acceptance of gifts by agents.

Mr Gurumnaan told the court that Mr Adetola confirmed visiting Lekki, Lagos, where he met Mr Ayo and later proceeded to the CBN office in Lagos to hand over the money to Mr Emefiele.

“We contacted Ayo, who was working with the CBN at the time. He confirmed that Adetola came to his house and gave him the money to deliver to the first defendant,” Mr Gurumnaan added.

“He also confirmed a separate transaction of $200,000, which he personally delivered to Emefiele in his office.”

The EFCC operative further testified that Victor Oyedua, a CBN contractor, admitted during interrogation that he gave Mr Ayo the sums of $400,000 and $200,000 to deliver to the former CBN governor.

“Oyedua explained that two of his contracts with the CBN were pending for payment, and he was told to ‘settle some management officials’ to facilitate release of funds,” the witness stated.

The prosecution also tendered additional documents obtained from the CBN as evidence, describing them as original letters from a company to the EFCC dated 24 February 2024, and other public documents received during the investigation.

However, defence lawyers, Olalekan Ojo and Kazeem Gbadamosi, who are both SANs, objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that they were uncertified photocopies.

They urged the court to reject them.

Ruling

Mr Oshodi, however, overruled the objections and admitted the bundle of documents as Exhibit H.

The court also admitted a Xiaomi MI10T phone belonging to John Adetola as Exhibit I.

The device, which was switched on and in flight mode, was analysed by EFCC investigators, who extracted more WhatsApp conversations between Messrs Adetola and Henry related to the alleged transactions.

The prosecution further tendered statements made by the defendant during the investigation, which the defence team claimed were obtained under duress.

The judge, Mr Oshodi, ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements and directed both parties to report on the outcome of forensic inspection by 21 November.

The matter was adjourned to 2 and 3 December, for the continuation of the mini-trial.

Earlier testimony collaborated

In an earlier hearing reported by this newspaper, Mr Gurumnaan also presented printouts of WhatsApp conversations admitted as Exhibits P1 to P27, detailing how large sums of foreign currency were coordinated through messaging platforms.

He said investigators uncovered a consistent pattern of cash movements linked to the defendants, adding that several individuals — including CBN and Zenith Bank staff — were interviewed as part of the probe.

Mr Oshodi subsequently adjourned that session to 9 October, for continuation of the trial.

READ ALSO: Prosecution, defence disagree over stalled forensic examination of phone in Emefiele’s fraud trial

Background

Mr Emefiele, who served as Nigeria’s Central Bank Governor from 2014 to 2023, is standing trial for alleged N4.5 billion fraud and abuse of office during his tenure.

The EFCC alleges that Mr Emefiele received several cash payments in dollars from CBN contractors through intermediaries, some of which were traced via WhatsApp conversations and phone data recovered during the investigation.

His trial has been marked by disputes between the prosecution and defence over forensic examination procedures, as both sides differ on how to verify the authenticity of digital evidence.

Mr Emefiele is also facing separate charges in Abuja over alleged procurement violations involving the CBN’s internal contracts.