By Muhammad Mamman
In a stunning development at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Abuja, a key prosecution witness in the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele has confessed to being responsible for the disappearance of $6.2 million from the apex bank, dramatically shifting the narrative in the high-profile case. 
Bashirudeen Maishanu, an Assistant Director and former Deputy Director of Banking Supervision at the CBN, admitted on Thursday that he was inadvertently involved in the withdrawal of the funds from the Garki branch of the bank in February 2023. Initially presented by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as part of the State’s evidence against Emefiele, his testimony took an unexpected turn when he acknowledged his role in the controversial cash transaction and accepted personal responsibility for the loss. 
Testifying before Justice Hamza Muazu as the 11th prosecution witness (PW11), Maishanu said he became entangled in the affair after being approached in early 2023 by a man claiming to act on behalf of the former governor’s personal assistant. The $6.23 million was purportedly withdrawn to fund election observers and logistics for the 2023 general elections — a claim that has been the centrepiece of the prosecution’s case against Emefiele. 
Maishanu explained that he believed the transaction was genuine at the time, partly because it followed what appeared to be the bank’s rigorous internal processes. However, he later discovered that crucial documents, including alleged approval letters, bore forged signatures of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha — details that first raised doubts about the authenticity of the operation. 
In an extraordinary admission under cross-examination, the witness said he and two others received $2.5 million from the withdrawn funds — a sum he described in court as “outrageous” and which he did not officially report to the bank at the time. He has since refunded much of the money and acknowledged that the full $6.2 million was never used for its intended purpose. 
Maishanu insisted that he had no direct interaction with Emefiele regarding the withdrawal and that all instructions he received were relayed through the personal assistant he could no longer locate. He said his decision to take responsibility was informed by his inadvertent involvement and concerns about the potential reputational damage. 
Emefiele, who has throughout maintained his innocence, is facing an amended 20-count charge brought by the EFCC, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, abuse of office, and conspiracy to obtain money by false pretence — all linked to the $6.2 million withdrawal and other alleged irregularities during his tenure. 
Justice Muazu adjourned the proceedings until Friday as the court continues to hear evidence in the landmark trial. 
