UNMASKED: The Suspect In $6.2m CBN Heist Who’s Wanted Over ‘forgery’ Of Buhari’s Signature

The alleged forgery of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature has emerged in connection with a $6.2 million disbursement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The funds were purportedly allocated for the payment of foreign election observers, with the signatures of Buhari and Boss Mustapha, the former secretary to the government of the federation, reportedly forged for the transaction.

President Bola Tinubu appointed a special investigator in February to probe the CBN under Godwin Emefiele, requesting Interpol to place three suspects on its watchlist: Adamu Abubakar, Imam Abubakar, and Odoh Eric Ocheme.

Odoh Eric Ocheme, an associate of Emefiele, is under investigation for alleged fraud in the apex bank.

Who is Ocheme

Ocheme was born on May 16, 1981, in Markudi, Benue state capital, Ocheme studied economics at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is a director of Ricrem Limited and Beustone Nigeria Limited, companies providing services for agricultural production.

Ricrem Limited, registered in February 2012, has Ocheme, Raymond Sunday Odoh, Livingstone Ocheme Onukwue, and Elliott Ocheme Nwandu listed as directors. Beustone Nigeria Limited, established on May 5, 2009, lists Ocheme, Livingstone Onukwue, Beulah Ali, and Josephine Odoh as directors. Both companies are inactive on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) website.

Ocheme, a former personal assistant to Emefiele, got married to Chinenyeze Ozioma Okoro in February 2021, in a ceremony attended by notable politicians and personalities, including Emefiele. The ongoing investigation has further implicated Ocheme in a larger fraud case involving the diversion of funds from the federal government’s coffers, leading to his declaration as a wanted individual by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).