On Monday, April 8, 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is set to arraign the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos.
He faces allegations of abusing his office in the allocation of billions of United States dollars.
Emefiele, along with his co-defendant Henry Isioma Omole, will face 26 counts before Justice Rahman Oshodi.
The charges, filed by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) and marked ID/23787c/2024, allege that Emefiele committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023 in Lagos.
The EFCC claims that Emefiele directed arbitrary acts, including allocating foreign exchange sums totaling $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, which they argue is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.
Similar allegations involve arbitrary allocations of foreign exchange sums totaling $291,945,785.59 between 2020 and 2021 and $1,769,254,793.16 in 2021.
Additionally, Emefiele’s co-defendant, Omole, is alleged to have accepted $110,000 as gifts for Emefiele in exchange for allocating foreign exchange.
The charges outlined in the case are in violation of Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
In the meantime, President Bola Tinubu expressed gratitude to the Central Bank Investigator, Mr. Jim Obazee, on Friday, officially concluding the lengthy investigation.
A statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled “President Tinubu thanks Jim Obazee as special investigator of the CBN at conclusion of investigation,” announced the closure of the investigation following the submission of a final comprehensive report and the winding up of all investigative apparatuses on March 31, 2024.
President Tinubu emphasized that with the investigation concluded, appropriate law enforcement and regulatory agencies have initiated follow-up actions.
He praised Mr. Obazee for his dedication and professionalism in handling the complexities of the national assignment and wished him success in his future endeavors.
On July 30, 2023, the President appointed Jim Obazee, Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, as a special investigator to examine the Central Bank of Nigeria and its affiliated entities.
