Boss Mustapha Testifies In Emefiele’s Trial, Says Buhari’s Signature Forged To Withdraw Funds From Central Bank

The immediate former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that neither he nor former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the disbursement of $6,230,000 to international election observers.

At the resumed trial of the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele at the FCT High Court on Monday, Onyeka Ogbu, a prosecution witness told the court that he was aware of a $6.2million payment request for international election observers.

He said Emefiele approved the payment of $6,230,000 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars) in cash for international election observers in the last 2023 general election.

Ogbu made the revelation while testifying at the ongoing trial of Emefiele.

The former CBN boss is standing trial before Justice Muazu on 20-count amended charges bordering on corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and obtaining by false pretences to the tune of $6,230,000.00 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand United States Dollar).

At the resumed trial on Monday, Michael, a former branch controller of the CBN, Abuja branch, led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, identified the documents presented to him by the prosecution, adding that he worked on the documents.

According to him, on January 8, 2023, a request for $6,230,000 payment came to his office and documents for the disbursement of the money were approved by the then-CBN boss in cash for international election observers

Boss Mustapha appeared at the FCT High Court in Abuja on Tuesday as Prosecution Witness 2.

The former SGF in his testimony said he knew nothing about the transaction up till the time he left office after serving for five years and 7 months.

According to him, the document did not come from the office of the President.

Mustapha also said he never heard of any “Special Appropriation Provision,” saying he was only familiar with “appropriation” and “supplementary.”

Mustapha said Buhari never concluded any of the correspondence he received from him with “Please accept with my highest regard”.

He said Buhari’s signature was forged, noting that the Nigerian Government has no business paying foreign election observers.

Mustapha said he did not know of the transaction.