By Abiola Olawale
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has continued to nail the embattled former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, with fresh criminal charges.
This is as the anti-graft agency slammed a fresh 26-count charge against Emefiele and one of his allies, Henry Isioma Omole.
Emefiele alongside his co-defendant, Omole, will be arraigned on 26 counts before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Federal High Court, Lagos state, on Monday.
The charge, marked ID/23787c/2024, dated April 3, 2024, was filed by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
EFCC alleged that Emefiele committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, of abuse of office.
Emefiele will be facing trial on counts bordering on accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, receipt of property fraudulently obtained, and conferring corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
The commission alleged 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.”
EFCC, further alleged that Emefiele between 2020 and 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: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $291,945,785.59, without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.
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.”
Emefiele’s co-defendant Omoile was alleged to have November 17, 2020, in Lagos, whilst acting as an agent accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, gifts as a reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favor of Raja Punjab’s employer.”
The New Diplomat reports that Emefiele, the governor of the CBN for nearly a decade, has been facing corruption charges preferred against him after President Bola Tinubu removed him from office last June.
He is being prosecuted on amended 20 counts of conferment of corrupt advantages, conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery, among others.
