EFCC Slams 26-Count Abuse Of Office Charge Against Emefiele

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has charged former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele with 26 counts of corruption.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday, April 8, at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos for alleged abuse of authority involving the allocation of billions of dollars.

The charges were filed on Friday, April 5, the same day President Bola Tinubu received the final comprehensive report from the apex bank’s Special Investigator under Emefiele and other associated entities.

Mr Jim Obazee, the Special Investigator, completed his job on March 31, 2024. Henry Isioma Omole is charged with Emefiele in the current case.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Rotimi Oyedepo filed the charge sheet, ID/23787c/2024, on April 3, 2024.

The 1st count states that Emefiele “directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.”

The offence was reportedly committed between 2022 and 2023 and is punishable under Section 73 of Lagos State’s Criminal Law, 2011. Under Count Two, Emefiele is accused of “directing to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $291,945,785.59, without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians” between 2020 and 2021 in Lagos.

In the 3rd count, Emefiele was alleged to have, in 2021, in Lagos, “directed to be done in abuse of the authority of your office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: special allocation of foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $1,769,254,793.16, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.”

In count four, the total amount was $370,872,893.01.

In count 5, Emefiele’s co defendant Omole was accused of, “about the 17th of November, 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst acting as an agent accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, gifts as reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favor of Raja Punjab’s employer.”

Emefiele is currently on trial in the Federal Capital Territory High Court for allegedly fraudulently paying $6,230,000 in cash for international election observers during the 2023 federal elections.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli