A witness from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Agboro Omowera, testified on Monday in a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, revealing that ten officials of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), including former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele, minuted on documents for the award of multi-million contracts to April 1616 and Architekon Nigeria Limited.
Emefiele is accused of using his position to confer a corrupt advantage on his wife, Margaret, and brother-in-law by approving the payment of N97.9 million in favor of Architekon Nigeria Ltd for the supply of office furniture to the CBN.
Omowera, the seventh prosecution witness, stated during cross-examination that ten individuals were involved in awarding the contracts and that the responsibility ultimately rested with Emefiele as the head of the CBN.
When asked if Emefiele conferred a corrupt advantage on himself, Omowera clarified that the investigation focused on Emefiele’s relatives and associates, not directly on the CBN governor.
Omowera had earlier informed the court that Emefiele conferred a corrupt advantage on Architekon Nigeria Limited and April 1616, companies linked to his wife and a relative. He revealed that Emefiele’s wife used her maiden name to register Architekon Nigeria Limited, and Sa`adatu Yaro, a director of April 1616, was awarded multiple contracts for supplying Toyota Hilux vehicles.
The witness disclosed that April 1616, with no prior track record, won about 45 contracts, raising concerns about how it consistently outbid Toyota-accredited competitors. The trial judge, Hamza Muazu, adjourned the case until April 25 for the continuation of the trial.
