FG to arraign Emefiele for fresh N6.9 billion fraud

The federal government will on Thursday arraign the suspended governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Sources at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that Mr Emefiele will be arraigned at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama, Abuja.

This follows Tuesday’s request by the federal government to withdraw the initial charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition filed against Mr Emefiele at the Federal High Court in Lagos.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Abubakar Mohammed, told the judge, Nicholas Oweibo, that the application for withdrawal was based on the result of more investigations conducted by the government.

The judge fixed Thursday to decide on the request which was opposed by Mr Emefiele’s legal team. Mr Mohammed told journalists after the day’s proceedings, about the filing of the fresh 20 charges against Mr Emefiele. That Thursday, Mr Emefiele, who has been in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS) since 10 June, is billed to appear before the Federal High Court in Abuja to answer to fresh 20 charges of conspiracy and procurement fraud.

He was charged alongside a CBN staff member, Sa’adatu Yaro, and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited. The government accuses Mr Emefiele of conferring corrupt advantages on Ms Yaro through the award of contracts to her company up to the tune of N99.9m for the supply of cars.

Court filings showed that the alleged transactions took place between 2018 and 2020. Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000, under which he was charged, provides a five-year jail sentence upon conviction.

“Any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine,” the law stipulates.

According to the charges, Mr Emefiele and Ms Yaro were alleged to have purchased a fleet of about 100 posh vehicles and armoured buses worth about N6.9 billion.

In December 2022, the SSS filed a warrant of arrest before the Federal High Court in Abuja, where it accused Mr Emefiele of egregious financial and terrorism-related crimes.

However, the court declined to grant the request, citing the service’s failure to place any evidence before it to substantiate the application.