A Federal High Court in Abuja has been informed that Odoh Ocheme, an aide to former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele, and two others accused of stealing $6.2 million are currently hiding in the United Kingdom. The police prosecutor, Celestine Odo, revealed this information during a court hearing.
The three accused individuals, including Adamu Abubakar and Imam Abubakar, are facing an eight-count charge of theft. The police prosecutor explained that the court had issued an arrest warrant for the trio on February 7, 2024, and that the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) had been notified.
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According to the prosecutor, the accused individuals are currently residing in the UK, and the police are relying on INTERPOL’s cooperation to arrest them. The prosecutor applied for an adjournment to allow INTERPOL to explore available options for their arrest.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who was presiding over the case, expressed discomfort with the prosecutor’s explanation and threatened to strike out the case if the same excuse was repeated at the next adjourned date. The judge subsequently adjourned the case until November 3 for the arraignment of the defendants.
The charge sheet revealed that the $6.2 million was allegedly stolen on February 8, 2023, and shared among the accused individuals. The special presidential investigative team that probed Emefiele’s tenure claimed that the money was stolen to pay election observers.
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The investigators alleged that the theft was an insider job carried out by CBN officials, including Ocheme, who was described as Emefiele’s personal assistant. Ocheme allegedly received $3.7 million out of the $6.2 million, while the remaining $2.5 million was shared among others.
The charge sheet also revealed that the accused individuals had forged documents, including a letter purportedly written by President Muhammadu Buhari, to facilitate the theft. The prosecutor alleged that the accused individuals had committed an offense punishable under the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
