A prosecution witness on Thursday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that the $6.23 million released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for a purported foreign election observer mission during the tenure of former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele was “pure theft.”

The witness, Commissioner of Police Okpoziakpo Eloho, who testified as the 14th prosecution witness in the ongoing trial before Justice Hamza Muazu, said investigations showed that the funds were fraudulently obtained under the guise of financing a foreign election observer mission.

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), Eloho told the court that the entire sum of $6.23 million was released on the approval of Emefiele.

“The entire money was released. We saw the approval of the governor,” the witness said.
According to him, investigators concluded that the stated purpose of the disbursement was merely a cover to divert public funds.
“It was pure theft. It was stolen, otherwise obtained under false pretence,” he testified.

The witness identified a presidential directive on the foreign election observer mission, admitted as Exhibit PD5, but maintained that investigations found the document was used to perpetrate fraud.

“Our finding with regards to PD5 is that it is all fraud,” he added.
Eloho, however, disclosed that investigators recovered about $800,000 from the allegedly diverted funds.

“I can’t remember the exact figure, but it was about Eight Hundred Thousand United States Dollars,” he said.

During cross-examination by defence counsel Matthew Burka (SAN), the witness acknowledged that, as CBN governor, Emefiele had authority over the bank’s funds.

He also told the court that a special investigator interviewed former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who reportedly denied that the signature on one of the key documents tendered in evidence belonged to him.

The witness further testified that investigations identified one Jibril Abubakar as the person who collected the $6.23 million. However, he said the identification card presented by Abubakar was found to be invalid.

“The staff ID card number does not belong to him. He is not a staff of the SGF. That is what the investigation revealed,” Eloho said.

Asked whether due process was followed in releasing the funds, the witness answered in the negative.

“This document is from the governor to the Director of Banking Services. Protocol was not followed. I presume the procedure would have been for the document to pass through the deputy governor,” he told the court.

Justice Muazu adjourned the case until July 3, 2026, for continuation of trial.