Jim Obazee, the special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to review activities at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under former governor Godwin Emefiele, has told the Federal Capital Territory High Court that former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha, and other individuals should also face prosecution over the alleged fraudulent withdrawal of $6.2 million from the Federal Government’s foreign exchange account.
Obazee made the recommendation on Friday while testifying as a prosecution witness for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in the ongoing trial of Emefiele on a 20-count charge bordering on conspiracy, abuse of office, and alleged fraud.
Led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Obazee was shown documents relating to the disputed payment, including a letter purportedly signed by the late former President Buhari authorising the release of the funds and another from the Office of the SGF directing the CBN to release the money to Jibril Abubakar, who was identified as a staff member in the SGF’s office.
The witness told the court that subsequent statements by Boss Mustapha, in which the former SGF denied knowledge of the transaction and alleged that the documents, including the letter attributed to Buhari, were forged, raised further questions about the circumstances surrounding the payment.
