The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, said it recorded major courtroom developments in two high-profile corruption trials involving a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and a former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, as witnesses gave detailed testimonies on alleged financial improprieties running into billions of naira.
At the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Maitama, Abuja, the trial of Emefiele continued before Justice Yusuf Halilu, with prosecution witnesses narrating how over N1.6 billion was allegedly disbursed on the former CBN governor’s instruction through complex cash movements and bank transactions.
Emefiele is being prosecuted by the EFCC on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, conspiracy, forgery and unlawful possession of properties suspected to be proceeds of crime to the tune of N7.83 billion.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Prosecution Witness 3 (PW3), Richard Agulu, a former Zenith Bank staff now with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), told the court that while working at Zenith Bank between 2007 and 2023, he handled cash transactions allegedly linked to Emefiele through the latter’s personal assistant, Eric Ocheme.
Agulu testified that, on Emefiele’s instruction conveyed through Ocheme, he received and disbursed large sums of cash, some of which were warehoused in the bank’s vault or deposited into third-party accounts, rather than Emefiele’s personal account.
He identified accounts belonging to Ifeabigo Integrated Services and Kelvito Integrated Services as channels through which funds were moved between 2020 and 2022, detailing multiple cash lodgments and transfers amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.
According to PW3, on August 25, 2021 alone, he transferred N600 million and N300 million from the Ifeabigo Integrated Services account, as well as N700 million from the Kelvito Integrated Services account, to MG Properties Limited, bringing the total transferred on that day to N1.6 billion.
“In total, I transferred N1.6 billion to MG Properties Limited on the defendant’s instruction through Mr. Eric,” he told the court, adding that he did not know the purpose of the payments at the time.
PW3 further narrated structured cash withdrawals, including multiple withdrawals of N10 million each, which he said were picked up by Ocheme on behalf of the defendant.
Under cross-examination, the witness acknowledged that only account holders or authorised signatories could approve withdrawals and confirmed that the relevant account owners authenticated the transactions.
Earlier, the prosecution also presented Prosecution Witness 2 (PW2), Olomotam Egoro, a compliance officer with Access Bank, who testified on EFCC’s request for account records relating to Ace Frozen Foods Ventures. He confirmed that the defendant’s name did not appear in the bank documents submitted to the EFCC.
Justice Halilu adjourned the matter to February 16, 2026, for continuation of trial.
Meanwhile, at the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, another EFCC prosecution involving former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, also recorded significant proceedings before Justice James Omotosho.
Oyo-Ita, who is standing trial alongside two former aides and six companies over an alleged N3 billion fraud, testified as the first defence witness in a trial-within-trial to determine the admissibility of statements she made to the EFCC.
The former Head of Service admitted under cross-examination that EFCC investigators cautioned her before she wrote her statements, including informing her of her right to remain silent and to have legal representation.
In one of the statements dated August 10, 2019, Oyo-Ita acknowledged that she was duly cautioned and chose to make her statement without the presence of counsel.
However, she told the court that although she wrote the statements voluntarily, she was forced to sign them and urged the court to reject the statements on grounds that they were not freely given.
She also disclosed that a former Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Professor Tahir Mamman, who stood as her surety during administrative bail, witnessed her writing another statement in September 2019.
The prosecution countered her claim by tendering a video recording of the statement-taking process, which was played in open court.
In the video, Oyo-Ita was seen calm and composed while writing her statement, after being informed of her rights.
The video was admitted in evidence without objection from the defence.
Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to March 4, 2026, for adoption of final addresses in the trial-within-trial.
Daily Sun