The former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has arrived at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos to be arraigned on alleged abuse of office.
Emefiele will be arraigned along with his co-defendant, Henry Isioma Omole, on 26 counts before Justice Rahman Oshodil on Monday.
The charge marked ID/23787c/2024 and dated April 3, 2024, was filed by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that Emefiele abused his office between 2022 and 2023 in Lagos, according to The PUNCH.
EFCC 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.”
In count four, the sum involved is $370,872,893.01.
While acting as an agent, Emefiele’s co-defendant Omoile was alleged to have 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 favour of Raja Punjab’s employer.
According to the charge, the offences committed contravened Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.6
