$4.5bn Case: Witness Says EFCC Offered Bail for Statement To Implicate Emefiele
By SAM POPOOLA, Lagos
Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja, on Friday heard how officials of EFCC attempted to force a Witness, Henry Omolie, to implicate former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, in the alleged case of $4.5bn fraud allegation against Emefiele.
This happened during the continuation of trial within trial aimed to determine the veracity of a controversial statement the EFCC claimed to have been voluntarily written by Omolie, the 2nd Defendant in the case in which Emefiele is the first Defendant.
Emefiele is facing a 19-count bordering on receiving gratification and corrupt demands, while his co-defendant, Omoile, faces a three-count charge relating to the unlawful acceptance of gifts by an agent. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Being led in examination in chief by Omolie's lawyer, Mr. Adeyimka Kotoye, SAN, the Witness narrated the manner by which the EFCC officials subjected him to almost un-ending interrogating exercises, pushing him from one official to another, and accusing him of not cooperating with them.
The Witness said having received an invitation from the EFCC, and in the course of writing his statement on 26th and 27th February, 2024, an EFCC operator, called Mr Azeez met with him, his private Lawyer and officials of NIBSS.
According to the Witness, after a few minutes, the NIBSS officials were asked to leave; leaving him and his lawyer, Mr Nnamdi Offiah. He took time to explain how he was asked to see Mr Alvan, the team head, privately at his desk , (in the absence of Offiah; his lawyer).
He testified that Mr Alvan told him that he had been invited to confirm certain information provided by one Monday Osazuwa, a CBN dispatch rider who works with the first defendant .
He said Mr Alvan told him to cooperate with them by providing the EFCC with the required information and that he would be allowed to go home if he cooperated. He added that if he didn’t, he would be held in detention and charged along with the first defendant. Alvan then asked him to see Azeez , the investigating officer (IO).
"Upon seeing Azeez, I was asked questions about my Biography, which I answered directly into the EFCC statement sheet.
"After providing information on my Biography, Azeez, told me to stop writing on the EFCC Sheet and gave me A4 plain sheets of paper to write answers to subsequent questions".
According to the Witness, he was presented with several selected questions; the answers to which he wrote on the A4 paper. After responding to the questions, Azeez took the plain A4 papers to Alvan who reviewed the questions and answers provided in the A4 papers.
He said Azeez returned to the desk and asked him a second time to see Alvan. He told him that he had reviewed the responses the Witness provided and that they do not conform with the statements written by Osazuwa aimed at implicating the first defendant.
Alvan advised him not stand on the way of the EFCC otherwise he would never be granted bail and that he would be charged with the first defendant. He was asked to return to Azeez to write the statements as required.
On returning to the Invetigating Officer, IO, Mr Azeez selected only some questions and responses from earlier written responses in the A4 papers.
He said it was at this point that his lawyer opposed the process but was warned not to interfere with the EFCC investigation otherwise his client will remain in EFCC detention.
So they accepted to transcribe the selected questions and responses into the official EFCC statement sheets. After which Azeez went again to seek Allvan’s consent whether to release the second defendant but this was refused. He was not released but taken to the EFCC detention facility where he subsequently spent 24 days without bail.
"On 27th February 2024 and as early as 9am, Azeez came to the detention facility to take me to the Awolowo Way office of EFCC for further interrogation. "At the office I met Alvan; who asked me ( jokingly) if I enjoyed the cell. I told Alvan I did not enjoy the cell. Alvan further retorted by saying that , now that hI have seen the cells, I should cooperate and not stand on the EFCC’s way otherwise I would remain in detention until I was charged along with the First Defendant, (Emefiele).
"I was asked to meet with Azeez to conclude the statement writing. At this time his Nnamdi Offiah; my lawyer was not in attendance. I complained to Azeez that I could not continue writing the statements without my lawyer being present but Azeez told me to cooperate with them so he could process my bail. Azeez continued and gave me the A4 papers to write the questions and responses; after which he began transcribing selected questions to the official EFCC statement sheet.
"At about 10.15 am, Offiah came in and tapped me at on shoulder and queried me as to why I was writing statements in the absence of his lawyer. "Azeez flew into a rage cautioning the lawyer that he had warned him the previous day not to interfere with their investigation"
He testified that it was at this junction that another I.O. called David , joined in the argument and subsequently ordered Offiah out of the conference hall where the interrogation was going on.
"At this stage, I felt threatened and continued writing the statements with Azeez. At intervals Azeez, Ken , and Idi Musa interrogated me on questions / responses were that written on the A4 paper.
" All these A4 papers containing questions were shown to Alvan who continued to threaten me with detention and prosecution". As to whether he complained about his lawyer being ordered out, the Witness said both Nnamdi Offiah and himself separately met with Alvan to complain but Alvan just responded that their complaints would be resolved soon.
The trial judge adjourned further hearing in the mini-triial till February 6.
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