A prosecution witness in the trial of Godwin Emefiele, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has told the Federal Capital Territory high court in Abuja that $6.23 million was withdrawn from the bank using forged documents.
The witness, Bashirudden Maishanu, an assistant director at the CBN and the 11th prosecution witness, gave his testimony on Thursday before Justice Hamza Muazu in the case brought against Emefiele by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While being led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo, EFCC director of public prosecutions, Maishanu said the funds were withdrawn from the Garki branch of the CBN on February 8, 2023.
He told the court that in January 2023, he was approached by one Alhaji Ahmed, who claimed to be working with a special committee in the office of the secretary to the government of the federation. According to Maishanu, Ahmed said he had been directed by Eric Ocheme, identified as Emefiele’s personal assistant at the time, to discuss some transactions being processed at the bank.
Maishanu said Ahmed informed him that presidential approval had allegedly been obtained for the payment and that Emefiele’s approval was the next requirement. He added that Ahmed requested the funds to be paid in cash and asked him to accompany the payment or recommend someone who could do so.
The witness said he declined to accompany the transaction and instead suggested someone he knew. He further testified that on February 8, 2023, the money was withdrawn in cash at the Garki branch of the CBN.
According to him, Ahmed left with $2.5 million, while another $2.5 million was left in the custody of him and two others. He described seeing the cash as shocking, stating that no payment had been agreed upon, and said he advised the others to keep the money, which they accepted.
Maishanu told the court that the $6.23 million was intended for election-related expenses, including payments to election observers. He also explained that disciplinary measures for erring CBN staff range from warnings to dismissal, depending on the severity of the offence, and are determined by a disciplinary committee in line with the bank’s human resource policies.
He said he was not subjected to any disciplinary action by the CBN board over the incident.
During cross-examination by defence counsel, Matthew Burkaa, the witness said he did not personally see the approval being signed but maintained that the documents used for the withdrawal were fraudulent. He explained that the CBN has strict procedures for cash transactions, especially for large sums.
Maishanu added that all officials involved in the withdrawal could be identified through internal records, noting that each stage of the process carries traceable signatures. He also admitted that he did not take part in monitoring the 2023 elections and said he initially did not know the transaction involved forged documents.
The witness said he later discovered the documents were fake and accepted responsibility for his role in the transaction, describing the incident as a set-up.
Justice Muazu adjourned the case until January 30, 2026, for continuation of trial.
