Lawyer Arrested with $2 Million Allegedly Linked to Emefiele, Says EFCC Witness

On Thursday, an investigator from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recounted in the FCT High Court in Abuja the apprehension of a lawyer working with former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, who was found in possession of over $2 million in cash.

The EFCC operative, David Jaiyeoba, testified that the lawyer, identified as Collins Omeife, admitted during his questioning that the substantial amount of cash belonged to Mr. Emefiele.

As the 12th witness in Emefiele's ongoing corruption trial, Mr. Jaiyeoba disclosed that Mr. Emefiele, who was dismissed from his position in June 2023 over corruption allegations after nine years in office, faces 20 counts of charges related to his tenure at the CBN.

The EFCC has brought an amended 20-count indictment against him, which includes charges of criminal breach of trust, conspiracy to commit forgery, obtaining by false pretenses, procurement fraud, and more.

Among the allegations is a purported fraudulent withdrawal of $6.23 million from the CBN vault in Abuja in 2023, disguised as expenses for foreign election observers.

Mr. Emefiele vehemently contests all the allegations against him.

During his testimony, Mr. Jaiyeoba explained that since taking the witness stand last month, he has repeatedly mentioned that Mr. Omeife acknowledged that he often received cash from Mr. Emefiele, including foreign currency, specifically in U.S. dollars.

He revealed that these funds were generally relayed through Mr. Emefiele’s personal assistant, Eric Ocheme, and were utilized to purchase properties and refurbish certain assets on behalf of Mr. Emefiele.

Some of the listed properties include detached duplexes on Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State; a bungalow and vacant land on Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Ikoyi; and a four-bedroom duplex on Probyn Road, Ikoyi.

Additional properties include an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots in Agbor, Delta State; eight units of undetached apartments on Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi; and a detached duplex on Bank Road, Ikoyi.

The EFCC asserts that the funds used for acquiring, refurbishing, or developing these properties are the product of Mr. Emefiele’s corrupt dealings while in power.

Initially, the agency secured a final forfeiture order concerning certain properties associated with Mr. Emefiele. However, this order was overturned by the Court of Appeal in Lagos in June 2025, which mandated a fresh hearing.

As part of his Thursday testimony, Mr. Jaiyeoba stated that Mr. Omeife was apprehended with $2,045,000 in cash, asserting that the lawyer confirmed part of this amount was intended for property developments.

Mr. Jaiyeoba recounted, "He said: ‘The cash belonged to the defendant who had sent Mr. Eric (Ocheme).’ He expressed that he had other cash before the arrest, but had used parts of it to develop some of the previously mentioned properties under the instructions of the defendant."

The witness identified that due to a court order, he could not interact with Mr. Omeife.

Mr. Omeife reportedly indicated to investigators that the four-bedroom duplex at Probyn Road, Ikoyi was in the midst of renovation, and that the confiscated $2 million was partially allocated for its refurbishment.

Furthermore, Mr. Emefiele acknowledged ownership of the properties during the EFCC's forfeiture procedures.

The prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the Director of Public Prosecutions, presented Mr. Emefiele’s extrajudicial statement through the witness, to which Mr. Emefiele’s attorney, Matthew Burkaa, a SAN, reserved his objection that the trial judge, Hamza Muazu, allowed.

The prosecution also introduced a bank statement from Zenith Bank relating to Architekon Nigeria Limited, noted by Mr. Jaiyeoba as being connected to Mr. Emefiele’s wife and brother-in-law.

Mr. Jaiyeoba pointed out that there was an inflow exceeding N350 million from the CBN to the company between 2020 and 2022, confirmed by Mr. Emefiele’s brother-in-law, MacCombo Omoile, as funds resulting from contracts executed for the CBN, which included renovations at the CBN governor’s residence and projects for NISAC officers nationwide.

Following this, the prosecution requested an adjournment, and the case was postponed until March 16 for further hearings.

Mr. Jaiyeoba's previous testimonies on January 30 detailed cash recoveries linked to Mr. Emefiele, following a report sent to the EFCC by the Inter- Agency Task Force led by the State Security Service (SSS).

He explained that various persons, companies, and government agencies were summoned for questioning, resulting in numerous findings, with a significant amount of cash and assets confiscated for the federal government.

He detailed, "$2 million was found to have originated from one Eric Ocheme Odo, PA to the defendant during his CBN term. The lawyer confirmed the cash was Emefiele's, alongside property documents asserting ownership on behalf of the defendant."

He also mentioned that the defendant sanctioned payments for contracts awarded to numerous firms, including Architekon Nigeria Limited, operated by MacCombo Omoile, his brother-in-law.

Additionally, he presented an internal CBN memorandum evidencing the approval of payments related to the governor's residence in Ikoyi and a contract document for landscaping at the same property.

On the developments in the case, notable witnesses have contributed significant testimonies, including Bashirudden Maishanu, an assistant director at CBN, who described how $6.23 million was withdrawn in cash from a CBN vault during Mr. Emefiele’s governorship, related to false claims and forged documentation. The testimony by Boss Mustapha, who served as the Secretary of the Government of the Federation under President Muhammadu Buhari, matched this by revealing that signatures related to the transaction were forged by those who misappropriated the funds.

All proceedings continue, with further testimonies expected to unravel the intricacies of the case.