By John Obi
:By Ken Chiwendu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC will on Monday arraign the former Central Bank of Nigeria CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos on a 26- count charge bordering on alleged abuse of office. over random allocation of billions of United States dollars to the detriment of the rights of Nigerians.
The embattled former Apex bank chief will be arraigned alongside his co-defendant, one Henry Isioma Omole, before Justice Rahman Oshodi..
The development comes hours after the Special Investigator on the Emefiele – led CBN, Jim Obazee concluded his assignment.
In the charge sheet filed by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), the EFCC alleged that Emefiele committed an abuse of office between 2022 and 2023 in Lagos.
The Anti – graft agency 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.”
It 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.
Also in 2021,Emefiele was alleged to have, 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 was $370,872,893.01.
Omoile,Emefiele’s co-defendant was alleged to have in November 17, 2020, in Lagos, whilst acting as an agent 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 favor of Raja Punjab’s employer.”
The offences contravened Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
