Mohit, Raja Punjab, Henry Omoile – Emefiele’s allies indicted in $17.1m bribery scandal

Mohit, Raja Punjab, Henry Omoile, Monday Osazuwa and Eric Udoh have been named as key associates indicted in a $17.1 million bribery involving Godwin Emefiele, former Central {Bank} of Nigeria governor.

An operative of the {Economic} and {Financial} Crimes Fee (EFCC), Alvan Gurumnaan, on Tuesday narrated earlier than the Lagos State Particular Offences Courtroom in Ikeja how Emefiele, allegedly obtained a complete of $17.1 million in money by way of a proxy between 2020 and 2023.

Gurumnaan, who gave proof earlier than Justice Rahman Oshodi, acknowledged that the funds have been obtained over a three-year interval in tranches and have been handed over to Emefiele’s affiliate, Henry Omoile, who’s the second defendant within the matter.

Emefiele and Omoile are going through a 19-count cost bordering on corrupt calls for and gratification totalling $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion, filed by the EFCC.

Led in proof by prosecuting counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Gurumnaan testified that the cash path was uncovered by way of statements given by a dispatch rider, Mr. Monday Osazuwa, who beforehand testified because the prosecution’s first witness.

Gurumnaan testified that when a letter was despatched to Osazuwa, he got here to the EFCC’s workplace and was interviewed.

He acknowledged that Osazuwa instructed the fee that he knew Emefiele when he was the MD of Zenith {Bank} in 2014, and that he facilitated his becoming a member of of CBN.

Gurumnaan stated based on Osazuwa, he ran errands for Emefiele, including that a few of the errands have been official and a few private errands.

“The non-public errands Osazuwa ran for Emefiele based on him was when he obtained a name from Emefiele who then despatched him a cellphone quantity and requested him to name on Mohit who was in London and after he referred to as Mohit. Mohit gave him the contact of a person.

“Osazuwa met the person from September 2020 to 2023, and obtained monies in {dollars} on behalf of Emefiele, a complete of $17,100,000. Upon receiving the sums, Osazuwa went to Emefiele’s home at Ikoyi and handed over the cash to the second defendant Henry Omoile as instructed by the primary defendant.

“Most of these transactions occurred on Fridays for 3 years,” he stated.

The witness additionally instructed the court docket that when he and his group interviewed the businessman, they have been instructed that he gave Osazuwa a complete of $17,100,000 between 2020 to 2023 for onward transmission to Emefiele.

“We collected the proxy’s cellphone, did evaluation on it and found WhatsApp messages and Mr. Raja Punjab boss, Mohit additionally confirmed it,” he stated.

Gurumnaan, who stated they often take permission earlier than going by way of the telephones of the folks they interviewed, instructed the court docket that he took the permission of Raja Punjab earlier than going by way of his cellphone.

The witness additionally instructed the court docket that the WhatsApp dialog was despatched to one among their group members Musa Idi’s e mail, the place they printed it out utilizing the workplace HP laptop.

He added that they extracted the paperwork in his presence on the EFCC’s convention corridor.

Earlier in his testimony, Gurumnaan, who stated he has been an operative of the EFCC since 2008 and works on the Particular Investigation Division, added that his duties included arrest, search warrant execution, report writing, and testifying earlier than courts, amongst others.

He instructed Justice Oshodi that the fee had obtained a number of petitions alleging abuse of workplace and illicit {financial} dealings by Emefiele.

In line with him, the fee wrote to varied establishments, together with the CBN, Division of Authorized, Human Assets, the Company Affairs Fee, and the {Financial} Market Sellers Quotations, to acquire related paperwork.

He stated, “After collating all of the paperwork, we additional investigated the officers from these departments. A few of them have been delayed and a few have been launched on bail.

“Primarily based on the intelligence we had, we needed to invite people who labored straight with the primary defendant (Emefiele)—Monday Osazuwa was invited, John Adetola was invited, John Ogah was additionally invited.

“One in all names that featured predominantly was Eric Udoh. We made frantic efforts to carry him, we couldn’t.

“There’s a report tracing him to Dominican Republic, Canada, United Kingdom. As an effort to carry him to reply questions, we contacted Interpol and have positioned him on pink. He’s now needed everywhere in the world.”

Justice Oshodi adjourned additional proceedings to October 7 and eight, 2025, for continuation of trial.