More trouble for the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, as the Court was told that the CBN acted on forged signatures in releasing $6.23 million on February 8, 2023, for payment of some election observers.
A Forensic Documents Examiner, attached to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Bamaiyi Mairiga, said at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday that former President Muhammadu Buhari and erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, signatures were forged.
Mairiga, who said he was on secondment from the Nigerian Immigration Service(NIS), told the court that he was able to establish forgery after forensic scrutiny of specimens of the signatures of Buhari and Mustapha.
He testified as the sixth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the immediate past Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele.
His findings align with the claim by Mustapha who on February 13 told the same court that his signature and that of Buhari were forged.
Mairiga, led in evidence by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said the signatures he analysed included those of a document marked: ‘X,’ titled: “Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions” purportedly signed by Buhari and another, marked: ‘X1,’ titled: “Re-Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions” purportedly signed by Mustapha.
The forensic expert said: “The conclusion from the analysis revealed that the disputed documents showed evidence of forgery and copying act, as the pen movement, form and formation of the signature and the skill of execution were found to be different from that of the specimen signatures marked exhibits a to ‘A2’ and ‘B’ to ‘B2.’
“The formation of the disputed signature marked: ‘X’ and ‘B’ to ‘B1’ were found to be different in respect of pen movement impulses, the skill of execution, loop formation, and presence of tremors; there was an individual characteristic.
“This is a confirmation that the author of the specimen signature marked ‘B’ to ‘B1’ did not write the signature of Muhammadu Buhari on the disputed document marked ‘X.’
“Also, the form and formation of the disputed signature marked ‘X1’ and the specimen signatures marked ‘A’ to ‘A2’ were found to be different in respect of pen movement impulses, terminal strokes, loop formation, presence of tremors and individual characteristics.
“This is also a confirmation that the author of the specimen signatures, marked ‘A’ to ‘A2’ did not write the signature of Boss Mustapha on the disputed document marked ‘X1.’
The witness said he later reduced his findings into a report.
At that point, Oyedepo tendered Mairiga’s report. It was admitted by the court after the defence said it had to objection.
Under cross-examination by defence lawyer, Matthew Burkaa (SAN), Mairiga said he did not work on Emefiele’s signature.
He explained that he only analysed the signatures of Buhari and Mustapha. He also denied knowledge of why Emefiele was in court.
