A witness, Chinedu Emere, told an Abuja High Court that the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, complied with late President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that the redesigned Naira be produced locally.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Emefiele with illegal act causing injury to the public.

According to Vanguard, the offence, the EFCC said, contravened the provisions of Section 123 of the Penal Code, Cap 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990 and punishable under the same law.

Emefiele pleaded not guilty to the charge.

During cross-examination by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, the witness confirmed that Emefiele complied with the directive to have the notes produced by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company.

Emere, the seventh prosecution witness and an EFCC investigator, told the court that Emefiele submitted a memorandum dated October 6, 2022, to former President Buhari.

“In the memorandum, he sought approval to redesign, produce and reissue the redesigned N1,000, N500, N200 and N100 notes.

“The former president approved the redesign of the Naira notes in his minute on the memorandum but directed that the production of the notes be done locally.

“The minutes of the former president was that the production be done. He minuted: ‘Approved. But to be produced locally’,” the PW7 told the court.

According to him, “The defendant stated a number of reasons for the redesign policy, among which were high counterfeit rate and worsening shortage of bank notes in circulation.”

Emere said the CBN raised bills of settlement to NSPMC for the production of the redesigned notes.

When asked to confirm if the Naira notes were produced by NSPMC, the prosecution witness answered in the affirmative.

“The Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company produced the redesigned notes.

This was in compliance with presidential directive for local production of the Naira notes.”

He however told the court that while NSPMC produced the notes locally, they were redesigned by a foreign company, De La Rue.

Emere stated that the CBN in 2023 made payment to De La Rue in British Pound Sterling for the redesign of the notes, while it made payment to NSPMC for the production in Naira.

He confirmed that De La Rue was the company that originally designed the Naira notes that became subject of redesign.

He added that the features in the notes were also products of the foreign company.

The witness told the court that he could not remember if in the course of investigation any of the deputy governors under Emefiele mentioned to the EFCC investigation team if any Nigerian company ever designed Naira notes for the Nigerian government.

He added that that was not the focus of their investigation.

Emere said investigation revealed that Buhari eventually launched the redesigned notes but he could not remember if the former president raised any complaints against the redesigned notes.

He told the court that the EFCC investigation team came up with an investigative report after its assignment.

Ojo then asked if the investigation report was before the court because he wished to tender it.

The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, objected to the request by the defendant’s counsel.

He told the court that the prosecution was not in custody of the report.

However, Justice MaryAnenih ordered the prosecution to avail the defence with the document to facilitate its defence.

Anenih then adjourned until February 10, for further hearing.