In a recent development in the case of the alleged theft of $6.2 million from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on February 8, 2023, an investigator has revealed what Godwin Emefiele, the immediate past governor of the apex bank, told them during an interview at Kuje prison.
Emefiele, who is currently standing trial on a 20-count amended charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was once remanded at Kuje prison. He was accused of engaging in criminal breach of trust, forgery, conspiracy to obtain by false pretence, and obtaining money by false pretence while serving as the CBN governor.
In an affidavit filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, one of the investigators handling the case, provided details of the team's findings and the progress made so far.
The investigator stated that they visited Kuje Correctional Centre and interviewed Emefiele, who denied seeing or approving the memos authorizing the payment of the $6.2 million as the then-CBN governor.
The investigator further revealed that the team had arrested some concerned staff of the CBN, who denied any involvement in the crime, before finally arresting Bashirudeen Maishanu. Maishanu corroborated the account of Abdulmajeed Muhammad and confessed to being involved in the crime, which was perpetrated by himself and the first three defendants – Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Odoh Eric Ocheme.
Maishanu reportedly confessed that he, Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar shared $2.5 million from the stolen money, while Odoh Eric Ocheme, a fellow CBN staff, kept the remaining $3.73 million, claiming to have other interests to settle within the bank.
The investigator also mentioned that Maishanu, Adamu Abubakar, and Imam Abubakar jointly invested the naira equivalent of $1.44 million into the real estate business of Afrolyk Global Ltd. The managing director of Afrolyk Ltd, Aminu Lawal, has been arrested and has confirmed the investment, already refunding $200,000 to the investigative team.
Additionally, the investigator revealed that Bashiru Maishanu has voluntarily returned about $400,000 from his remaining share of the stolen money.