In a dramatic courtroom revelation on Monday, a former executive assistant to the embattled ex-Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, told a Lagos Special Offences Court that he once delivered $400,000 in cash to his boss — without documenting the transaction in any form.
John Adetola, the seventh prosecution witness in the ongoing trial, confessed before Justice Rahman Oshodi that he neither kept a receipt, call log, nor any form of written communication to back the cash delivery. He claimed he acted on instructions from one Eric Odoh via a WhatsApp message in 2018.
“In 2018, I can’t recall the exact date, but Mr. Eric Odoh asked me via WhatsApp to collect $400,000 from Mr. John Ayoh and hand it to the former CBN Governor when he was in Lagos,” Adetola said. “I went to Ayoh’s house in Lekki, collected an envelope, and delivered it to the governor.”
When asked why he did not keep any form of documentation for the large sum, he simply replied, “I did not see any need for it.”
Emefiele and co-defendant Henry Omoile are currently standing trial on 19-count charges involving alleged bribery and corrupt practices amounting to $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion, as brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Under cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Adetola confirmed that he was not under prosecution himself and had not entered into any immunity deal with the EFCC. He also admitted he never mentioned any direct communication with Emefiele regarding the $400,000 in his EFCC statement.
“I told the EFCC everything I knew about the alleged financial crimes,” Adetola said, also revealing he spent 11 days in EFCC custody without being confronted by either Emefiele or John Ayoh.
Although EFCC investigators showed him WhatsApp printouts, Adetola stood by his earlier claim — that he had no evidence tying Emefiele directly to the cash delivery. During re-examination by EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), he maintained his stance, repeating, “I did not see any need for it.”
Adetola, who holds a Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Studies and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management, also described his role at the CBN, stating, “My direct boss is the 1st defendant. The 1st defendant is the head of the secretariat, and I report directly to him,” referring to Emefiele.
During further questioning by Yinka Kotoye (SAN), counsel for the second defendant, Henry Omoile, Adetola confirmed that he had no dealings whatsoever with Omoile regarding the alleged cash delivery.
Justice Oshodi discharged the witness after his testimony and adjourned the trial to continue today (Tuesday). Stay with Hobnob News for unfolding updates on this high-stakes corruption trial.
