According to information provided by Vanguard News on May 10, 2024, a witness named Victor Onyejiuwa testified in the ongoing trial of Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Onyejiuwa appeared before the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja and detailed how he was coerced into paying $600,000 in order to secure a contract.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are currently facing a 26-count charge in the trial. Meanwhile, Justice Rahman Oshodi granted a request by Emefiele's counsel to file a notice of leave to appeal the court's decision regarding jurisdiction. Emefiele's legal team argues that the Ikeja High Court does not have the authority to hear the case, as it pertains to matters related to foreign exchange, which falls under the Exclusive list in the constitution.
Victor Onyejiuwa, the Managing Director of Resource Computer Limited, testified that his company provides services to both private and public enterprises, offering hardware and software solutions tailored to various ICT needs, including security, network, storage, backup solutions, data protection and recovery, virtualization, data center solutions, and ICT training and education services.
Onyejiuwa revealed that his company had provided information and communication technologies assistance to the CBN between 2014 and 2019, and they were awarded at least five contracts during that period. In 2017, his company secured an "enterprise storage and servers" contract from the CBN.
After executing the contract, Onyejiuwa stated that he was approached by a former CBN director who conveyed the management's request for something in return. The director warned that if he did not comply, the contract funds would be delayed. Under pressure, Onyejiuwa agreed to pay $400,000 and $200,000 to expedite the payment. Shortly after making the payment, the funds were released.
When asked about the contract amounts, Onyejiuwa mentioned that the highest contract sum reached $1.2 billion in 2017 and late 2018, when the exchange rate was N360/$1. He also informed the court about smaller payments of N24 million and N17 million.
The case was adjourned until May 17, 2024, for the trial to continue.
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