The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will on Monday, April 8, arraign former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele on a fresh 26-count charge bordering on abuse of office.
The former CBN boss will be arraigned alongside one Henry Omoile before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, on allegations of accepting gratification, accepting gifts through agents, corruption, and fraudulent property receipt.
He was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000 in the charge filed on April 3rd by the EFCC Prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
Emefiele, the former CBN governor is already being prosecuted by the EFCC at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja over allegations of fraudulent financial transactions during his time in office.
Some of the counts read, “that you, GODWIN 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 without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.
“That You, GODWIN EMEFIELE between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court 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 amounting to the total sum of $370,872,893.01 (Three Hundred and Seventy Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Two Thousand, Eighb’ Hundred and Ninety-Three Dollars, One Cent) which act is prejudice to the rights of Nigerians.
“That You, HENRY ISIOMA OMOILE, on or about the 17” 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 One Hundred and Ten Thousand Dollars ($110,000), for GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, gifts as a reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favour of Raja Punjab’s employer.
“That You, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, sometime in December 2018, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly received the sum of Four Hundred Thousand United States of America dollars ($400,000) from The Source Computer Limited on account of the approval of “Contracts” in favour of the said Company, by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Institution of Government wherein you served as Governor.
“That You, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, sometime in December 2018, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly received the sum of Two Hundred Thousand United States of America Dollars ($200,000) from The Source Computer Limited on account of the approval of “Contracts” in favour of the said Company, by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Institution of Government wherein you served as Governor.”