The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, has been brought before the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos for his arraignment on charges of alleged office abuse and the allocation of billions of dollars.
Emefiele, along with co-defendant Henry Isioma Omole, is set to face a new 26-count indictment before Justice Rahman Oshodi today, Monday, April 8, 2024.
According to the charge with the reference ID/23787c/2024, dated April 3, 2024, the EFCC accuses Emefiele of abusing his office from 2022 to 2023 in Lagos.
The commission claims that the former CBN governor committed an arbitrary act, under the guise of his authority, by allocating foreign exchange totaling $2,136,391,737.33 without bids, an act that is allegedly prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.
The charges include accusations of accepting gratification, receiving gifts through agents, engaging in corruption, acquiring property by fraudulent means, and bestowing corrupt advantages upon associates, all in violation of the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
Count one of the charge reads, “that you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between 2022 and 2023, 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: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2,136,391,737.33 (Two Billion, One Hundred and thirty-six million, three hundred and ninety-one thousand, seven hundred and thirty-seven Dollars, thirty-three cents) without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, Mr Emefiele faces other corruption charges at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
In the Abuja case, the anti-corruption commission EFCC accused the former CBN governor of criminal conspiracy, conferring undue advantage, and breach of trust, among others.
But Mr Emefiele denied the allegations, originally captured in six counts.
He was first arraigned on 28 November 2023 before the EFCC amended the charges necessitating a re-arraignment.
The commission, in the amended charges, increased the number of counts from six to 20, and dropped a former co-defendant’s name, Sa’adatu Yaro, from the case.
In some of the counts, EFCC alleged that Mr Emefiele, in January 2023, forged a document titled, ‘Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions,’ dated January 2023 with reference number, SGF.43/L.01/201.
The EFCC alleged that Mr Emefiele made the claim knowing the same to be false.
In the case marked CR/577/2023, the prosecution alleged Mr Emefiele, on 8 February 2023, connived with one Odoh Ocheme, said to be on the run, to obtain $6.2 million from the CBN, claiming that it was requested by the office of the Secretary to the Governor of the Federation (SGF) “vide a letter dated Jan. 26 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201.”
The anti-graft agency also alleged that “the contract for the renovation of the CBN Governor’s lodge, located at No. 2 Glover Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was awarded to a company named Messrs. Architekon Nigeria Ltd, “wherein the duo are directors and majority shareholders.”
The offences, according to the EFCC, contravened the provisions of sections 17, and 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000, as well as sections 315, 363 and 364 of the Penal Code.
The court allowed the defendant to continue with the bail he was earlier granted.
The EFCC has called some witnesses in the ongoing case.
