The seventh prosecution witness, John Adetola, on Monday refuted claims that he entered into an arrangement with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to testify against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
Testifying before Justice Rahman Oshodi at the Lagos Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Adetola—an executive assistant to Emefiele—emerged as a pivotal figure in the ongoing trial of the former CBN boss and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile.
Both men are facing 19 counts bordering on abuse of office and fraud amounting to approximately $4.5 billion and ₦2.8 billion.
Under direct examination, Adetola maintained that he never presented EFCC operatives with WhatsApp messages or phone logs suggesting he informed Emefiele of having collected $400,000 on his behalf.
While earlier testimonies had him stating that he physically delivered the said amount to Emefiele, Adetola, under questioning by EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), explained that in 2018, he received a WhatsApp message from one Eric Odoh, instructing him to pick up the cash from the residence of John Ayoh in Lekki and deliver it to Emefiele in Lagos.
“I collected the money and delivered it,” he confirmed.
However, during cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), Adetola admitted he kept no written records of the $400,000 transaction.
He also confirmed that he was not under prosecution in connection with the transaction and conceded that his EFCC statements made no mention of WhatsApp or phone conversations with Emefiele about the funds.
Adetola firmly denied entering any agreement with the EFCC to avoid prosecution, saying, “The EFCC only showed me WhatsApp messages that had to do with the money.”
He added that he holds a Higher National Diploma in Secretarial Studies and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management.
As Emefiele’s executive assistant, he said he was responsible for managing the Governor’s secretariat, overseeing correspondence, and reporting directly to him.
Adetola also told the court that he was detained by the EFCC for 11 days, during which he fully cooperated with the investigation, but was never confronted with either Emefiele or John Ayoh regarding the alleged transaction.
When cross-examined by Yinka Kotoye (SAN), counsel to the co-defendant Henry Omoile, Adetola stated he had “no dealings with Mr. Omoile concerning the funds.”
During re-examination, Oyedepo asked why the $400,000 transaction was undocumented. Adetola replied, “I did not see any need for it.”
Justice Oshodi discharged the witness and adjourned the trial to today for continuation.
