By SCM Staff Writer I Thursday, October 09, 2025
IKEJA, Lagos – A stunning day in court on Thursday saw explosive new evidence—including a seized mobile phone and a series of WhatsApp messages—admitted against the former Central Bank of Nigeria chief in his mammoth $4.5 billion fraud trial.
Justice Rahman Oshodi flatly overruled defence objections to a huge bundle of documents, which were swiftly marked as exhibits at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Nigeria.
The prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, then dropped a bombshell by presenting testimony from a financial watchdog investigator that claims the ex-bank boss personally received $600,000 cash in his office as an alleged kickback.
Cash Handed Over in Office
EFCC operative Alvan Gurumnaan told the court how investigators uncovered the trail of “dirty money,” allegedly destined for the former CBN chief, referred to in messages only as ‘oga’.
The court was shown WhatsApp messages between a Mr. Henry and John Adetola which read: “Talk to him ‘oga’ on wastapp if possible” and telling Adetola he should “give $400,000 to ‘oga'”.
Adetola later confessed he met Ayo, the CBN Governor’s personal assistant, in Lekki, Lagos, to deliver the huge cash sum.
Gurumnaan sensationally claimed Adetola later confirmed he went to the CBN office in Lagos and handed the $400,000 directly to the ex-governor himself!
But it didn’t end there!
Ayo, the personal assistant, was grilled by investigators and is said to have confirmed Mr. Adetola gave him the money to pass to the first defendant.
The witness then claimed Ayo admitted to another $200,000 delivery from the same person, this time passing it directly to the former CBN boss in his Lagos office.
That’s a total of $600,000 cash!
Further testimony came from CBN contractor Victor Oyedua, who reportedly admitted giving Ayo the two sums—$400,000 and $200,000—to deliver. Oyedua claimed his unpaid bills were “hanging” at the CBN and he was told he “needed to settle some management to facilitate his money.”
’The Phone Was Still ON!’
The courtroom drama ramped up when the prosecution successfully tendered John Adetola’s mobile phone, a MI10T, as a key piece of evidence. The court heard the phone was still on—though in flight mode—when it was seized.
Investigators managed to retrieve and analyse the vital WhatsApp conversations between Adetola and Henry from the device.
However, the defence team, led by Olalekan Ojo SAN and Kazeem Gbadamosi SAN, immediately lodged an objection to the defendant’s alleged confession statements, claiming they were made under duress.
Justice Oshodi has ordered a ‘trial within a trial’ to determine if the statements are admissible.
The matter was adjourned until December 2 and 3 for the ‘mini trial’, but not before the judge ordered the parties to meet next month to agree on a forensic inspection of the material.
