Inside The $17.1M Bribery Web: Emefiele, Aide, And The Businessman

In a sweeping revelation that further deepens the legal troubles of the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged that he received a total of $17.1 million in bribes over a span of nearly three years. The allegation came to light during a court proceeding at the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, where EFCC investigator Alvan Gurumnaan gave detailed testimony on the origin, delivery, and suspected laundering of the funds.

Gurumnaan, an Assistant Commandant and head of the EFCC’s Special Operations Unit, testified as the eighth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, who are both standing trial on a 19-count charge relating to alleged corrupt practices, including gratification, abuse of office, and conspiracy to commit felony.

According to Gurumnaan, investigations revealed that from September 2020 to June 2, 2023, large cash sums were delivered in tranches to Mr. Emefiele, often through trusted intermediaries. Chief among them was Monday Osazuwa, a long-time aide to the former CBN governor, who allegedly collected the bribes on Emefiele’s behalf from a businessman operating out of Victoria Island, Lagos.

The businessman, who remains unnamed for legal reasons, reportedly acted on the instruction of a UK-based intermediary known only as Mr. Mohit, who facilitated contact between him and Osazuwa.

“In each transaction, Osazuwa collected the money and delivered it to Mr. Emefiele at his Ikoyi residence,” Gurumnaan stated. “Sometimes, he handed the money to the second defendant, Mr. Omoile, who then gave it to Emefiele personally.”

The EFCC said that the alleged transactions took place over a nearly three-year period, culminating just a week before Emefiele was suspended from office in June 2023.

The businessman later confirmed to EFCC investigators that he handed over the total sum of $17.1 million to Osazuwa over that time frame. Investigators also retrieved WhatsApp messages and chat logs between the businessman and Osazuwa which corroborated the delivery details.

“After each transaction,” Gurumnaan told the court, “Emefiele would speak directly with the businessman to confirm receipt of the funds.”

These WhatsApp conversations were printed by the EFCC at its Lagos office and presented as exhibits in court. Lead counsel to Emefiele, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), did not object to their admissibility. However, counsel to Mr. Omoile, Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), reserved his objections and requested leave to conduct a forensic examination of the messages.

The court granted the application and directed the defence to file a formal motion, allowing the prosecution time to respond.

Gurumnaan told the court that the EFCC began its investigation after receiving credible intelligence indicating large-scale abuse of office, procurement fraud, and unexplained financial transactions linked to the former CBN governor.

In pursuit of evidence, the EFCC sent multiple investigative requests to various institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, Corporate Affairs Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, commercial banks, and financial market platforms like the FMDQ.

Several CBN officials and departments—Trade and Exchange, Currency Operations, Banking Supervision, Legal, and Human Resources—were summoned for questioning. According to Gurumnaan, some officers were temporarily detained and later released on the basis of reliable sureties.

The name of Eric Odoh, another key aide to Emefiele, repeatedly surfaced during the probe. Odoh is believed to have managed logistics for many of the alleged transactions. Investigators later discovered that he had absconded, with travel records showing movement between Nigeria, the UK, Canada, and the Dominican Republic. A Red Notice has been issued for Odoh through Interpol, and he remains on the EFCC’s watchlist.

The Charges

Emefiele and Omoile are facing 19 criminal charges, including:

• Receiving unlawful gratification
• Conspiracy to commit felony
• Abuse of office
• Violation of the Public Procurement Act
• Receiving illicit financial advantage amounting to $4.5 billion and ?2.8 billion

The prosecution has tendered dozens of documents and continues to present new evidence, some of which are under review for potential forensic scrutiny. The defence has maintained that its clients are innocent and have requested an independent analysis of key documents.

Following the EFCC witness’s testimony and the presentation of exhibits, Justice Rahman Oshodi adjourned the matter to October 7, 8, and 9, 2025, after the court’s annual vacation, for the continuation of trial.