Emefiele to be arraigned Monday

Mr Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will on Monday, April 8 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court, for alleged abuse of office.

The embattled bank chief is facing charges alongside his co-defendant, Henry Isioma Omole, before the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos.

The anti-graft agency alleged that Emefiele was guilty of abuse of office.

Emefiele was also accused of conferring corrupt advantage on his associates contrary to the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.

The charge sheet, marked ID/23787c/2024, dated April 3 and was filed by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

One of the counts stated that Emefiele allegedly committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, an offence punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

Another count alleged that Emefiele directed to be done in abuse of the authority of his office, as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, an arbitrary act, to wit: allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $2.2 billion without bids.

Also, it was alleged that Emefiele abused the authority of his office by allocating foreign exchange in the aggregate sum of $291 million without bids, which act was prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.

Emefiele’s co-defendant was alleged to have acted as an agent and accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for the ex-CBN as a reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favour of Raja Punjab’s employer.

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