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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The special investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the activities of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other related entities, Jim Obazee, has asked the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) to place three Nigerians on its watchlist over an alleged $6,230,000 fraud.
The suspects are Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Eric Ocheme.
The federal government had filed extradition charges against the trio for allegedly forging the signature of former President Muhammadu Buhari and documents purportedly written by the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to induce the payment of $6,230,000 from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The fund was purportedly meant for foreign election observers for the 2023 general elections.
“That Adamu Abubakar (now at large), Imam Abubakar (now at large), Odoh Eric Ocheme (now at large), Bashirudeen Maishanu and others also now at large, on or about the 23 day of January, 2023, at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, forged the following documents: (1) The Presidency, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Identity Card in the name of Jibril Abubakar; (ii) Letter dated 23 January, 2023 purportedly written by Muhammad Buhari to the Mr. Boss Mustapha; (iii) Letter dated 26 January, 2023 purportedly written by Boss Mustapha to Mr. Godwin Emefiele; (iv) Central Bank of Nigeria Internal Memo dated 31 January, 2023 purportedly written by the Director, Banking Services Department to the Governor, and (v) Central Bank of Nigeria Internal Memo dated 7th February, 2023 purportedly written by the Director, Banking Services Department to the Branch Controller, Abuja, Branch, with the intent that the Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja Branch may in the believe that the documents are genuine be induced to pay you the sum of six million, two hundred and thirty thousand United States Dollars ($6,230,000.00) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2)[c] of the Miscellaneous offences Act, Cap. M17 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2010,” the charge sheet read in part.
Former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is also indicted in the alleged fraudulent payment of $6,230,000.
Mustapha had on Tuesday said neither he nor Buhari gave any approval for the disbursement of $6,230,000 to international election observers.
The former SGF testified as the second prosecution witness in the trial Emefiele.
In the letter dated February 12, 2024, the special investigator asked INTERPOL to place the three suspects on red notice.
The letter, signed by Eloho Okpoziakpo, the Head of Operations, Office of the Special Investigator, was addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, National Central Bureau (NCB) and INTERPOL.
In the course of the special investigator’s assignment, Odoh Eric Ocheme, a staff of the CBN, now at large and the other two accomplices, also at large, were discovered to have conspired and forged documents in the name of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria with which they stole about US$6,230,000 (Six Million, Two Hundred and Thirty Thousand Dollars, in cash, from the coffers of the CBN,” the letter read.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on January 18, 2024 issued a warrant of arrest against the three suspects.
Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the order following a motion moved by Celestine Odo, the counsel of the federal government.