The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, testified on Tuesday as the fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, at an Abuja High Court in Maitama.

Mustapha revealed to the court that both his signature and that of former President Muhammadu Buhari were forged in the withdrawal of $6,230,000 from the CBN vault on February 8, 2023. He emphasized that he had no knowledge of or involvement in the correspondence leading to the fund’s withdrawal, allegedly intended for the payment of foreign election observers.

During his testimony, Mustapha discredited the authorization letter purportedly issued from his office, stating that it was not the federal government’s responsibility to request funds from the CBN for such purposes. He clarified that the responsibility lay with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to engage with foreign election observers.

Mustapha further highlighted discrepancies in the document, pointing out inconsistencies in the format, language, and signature that deviated from typical presidential correspondence. He emphasized that as SGF, he had never encountered such documents during his tenure.

Contrary to earlier testimony by an official from the CBN, Mustapha denied any association with the individual named Jibril Abubakar or receiving any portion of the withdrawn funds. He also refuted claims that President Buhari presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on the day of the alleged approval, noting that it was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who chaired the meeting.

The trial has been adjourned until March 7, with Emefiele facing charges of criminal conspiracy, forgery, breach of trust, and undue advantage. The charges allege that he obtained $6.2 million through false pretenses, falsely representing the SGF, and awarding contracts to companies involving his relatives. Emefiele was previously granted bail with stringent conditions, including surrendering his travel documents and providing substantial sureties.