February 14, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has asked the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), to place three suspects, including Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar and Odoh Eric Ocheme, on its watchlist over an alleged fraud of $6,230,000.
Jim Osayande Obazee, the Special Investigator appointed by President Bola Tinubu to probe the tenure of Godwin Emefiele as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), requested in a letter dated February 12, 2024, and signed by DCP Eloho Okpoziakpo, Head of Operations at the Office of the Special Investigator.
Addressed to the assistant inspector-general of police, National Central Bureau (NCB) and Interpol, the letter alleged that the three suspects, who are now at large, had conspired and forged documents in the name of the former President, carting away $6.23 million
The letter with reference number CR:3000/TSI/ABJ/VOL.1/85, reads: “The Special Investigator appointed by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria, Related Entities and other Key Government Business Entities kindly requests you to place the individuals mentioned earlier on INTERPOL RED NOTICE.
“In the course of the Special Investigator’s assignment, Mr Odoh Eric Ocheme, (staff of the CBN), now at large and the other two accomplices, also now 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 in cash from the coffers of the CBN.
“Consequent upon the above, a charge was filed and warrants of arrest have been issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Abuja Division, presided over by Hon. Justice ILE. Ekwo, in Charge No. FHC/ABJ/CR/19/2024, B/w: the Federal Republic of Nigeria v Adamu Abubakar & 2 Ors for the arrest and production of the Defendants named above for their arraignment.
“The data page of Odoh Eric Ocheme’s Nigerian International Passport No. B50082800, duly certified true copies of the warrants and the Order of the Court to that effect are now attached.”
The federal government had filed extradition charges against the trio for allegedly forging the signature of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari and documents purportedly written by Boss Mustapha, the former secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), to induce the payment of $6,230,000 from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The fund was purportedly meant for foreign election observers.
“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 January 23, 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 February 17, 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″, part of the charge sheet reads.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mustapha said neither he nor ex-President Muhammadu Buhari gave any approval for the disbursement of $6,230,000 to international election observers.
Mustapha testified as the fourth prosecution witness (PW-4) in the trial of Emefiele.
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