Nigeria News
Ex-CBN Governor, Emefiele Arrives Lagos Court For Arraignment
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, who is currently facing numerous challenges, has appeared at the Ikeja High Court in Lagos.
Naija News reports that Emefiele was arraigned before the court to face charges related to the alleged misuse of his position and the allocation of billions of dollars.
The embattled ex-CBN Governor was accompanied by his co-defendant, Henry Isioma Omole. This morning, Justice Rahman Oshodi will present both individuals with 26 fresh charges.
Moment Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele arrived at the court on Monday, April 8, 2024
According to the charge sheet, dated April 3, 2024, and with the reference ID/23787c/2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused Emefiele of abusing his authority in Lagos between 2022 and 2023.
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 Files New 26 Count Charges Against Godwin Emefiele
Naija News reported earlier that the nation’s anti-graft agency, EFCC, filed fresh charges against Emefiele, which are expected to be addressed before Justice Rahman Oshodi on Monday (today).
These fresh charges come after the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, initiated the case on April 3rd. The case spotlights significant allegations of corruption during Emefiele’s tenure as the CBN governor.
According to the charge sheet, the former central bank head is accused of several illicit activities, including the acceptance of gratification through agents, corruption, receipt of property fraudulently obtained, and conferring corrupt advantages on associates, actions contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.
One of the pivotal counts accuses Emefiele of directing an arbitrary allocation of foreign exchange totalling $2,136,391,737.33 without appropriate bidding processes—an act that purportedly compromised the rights of Nigerian citizens and flaunted his office’s duties.
