Lagos State Special Offences Court, Ikeja – A prosecution witness, Victor Onyejiuwa, testified on Friday that he did not pay a bribe to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for a contract he executed for the bank. Onyejiuwa, the Managing Director of Resource Computer Limited, clarified that the alleged $600,000 bribe was paid to the former Director of Information Technology, John Ayoh.
During cross-examination by Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, Onyejiuwa detailed his interactions with Ayoh, conducted primarily via WhatsApp. He recounted making two payments to Ayoh: $400,000 in Lagos and $200,000 in Abuja.
Onyejiuwa stated he had no authorization from CBN management to pay any bribe and that the contract award and completion were signed off by Ayoh. He also noted that he continued working with the CBN until 2019, during Emefiele’s tenure, without any further bribe demands.
“I have never met Emefiele. My dealings with the CBN management were through Ayoh,” Onyejiuwa stated, emphasizing that his later contracts were completed without any bribery involved and were paid on time.
When questioned about his communications with other CBN officials or any evidence of Ayoh’s authority to collect the bribe, Onyejiuwa responded negatively. He confirmed that the money was delivered directly to Ayoh in his office, with an IT department official signing off after the payment.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are currently facing 26 charges, including abuse of office and alleged fraud amounting to $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion. Both have pleaded not guilty.
On a previous court date, Onyejiuwa testified that he felt pressured to pay $600,000 to expedite payment for a 2017 contract involving ‘enterprise storage and servers.’ He described how a senior CBN official demanded the bribe, delaying his payment until he complied.
The trial continues on July 9 and 10.
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