Boss Mustapha, immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on Tuesday told a Federal High Court Sitting in Maitama, Abuja that former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele forged the signature of President Muhammadu Buhari to steal $6.2 million from the CBN in February, 2023.
Mustapha who was in the court to testify the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial Emefiele during his testimony in court explained how the former CBN boss forged both documents and signature of the former president in order to take the said money from the CBN.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the court that on February 8, 2023, Emefiele connived with one Odoh Ocheme, who is now at large, to obtain $6.2m from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the SGF “vide a letter dated 26th January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/.
The EFCC further alleged that Emefiele, again in January 2023, forged another document titled: “RE: PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE ON FOREIGN ELECTION OBSERVER MISSIONS,” dated 26 January 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201
While answering questions from the prosecution counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, in the court, the former SGF, Boss Mustapha said that none of the documents presented as evidence in the court by the EFCC emanated from the office of the president.
Mustapha told the court:
“All through my service year as the SGF, I never came across these documents it was claimed that Buhari signed. From the face value of this document, having served for five years and seven months as SGF, this document did not emanate from the president for the following reasons.
“A correspondence that has the seal of the Nigerian president does not carry a reference number. The seal is the authority.
“Secondly, I have looked at it and read, that FEC decisions are not transmitted by letters. They are transmitted through extracts after conclusions are adopted.
“Thirdly, I am the custodian of FEC, the president will not refer executives’ conclusions to me.
“Also, in all the five years and seven months, I have never heard of the terms special appropriation provision referred to. The terms known to me, my lord, are appropriation as provided by the appropriation act normally passed by the national assembly and when the government file drafts it brings supplementary appropriation.
“In all the correspondences I have received from Buhari, it has never had ‘please accept the assurance of my highest regard’. I am his subordinate, my correspondences do not carry that.
“And lastly, looking at the signature, it is a failed attempt at reproducing Buhari’s signature. I will leave that to the experts.”
The former SGF also told the court that he never at any point in time received any money from the CBN or the former CBN Governor.
