FG Lowers Emefiele's Charges, And The Strike Delays Arraignment

FG arraigns Emefiele on six counts over alleged N1.6bn procurement fraud

The fraud accusations brought by the Federal Government against Godwin Emefiele, the immediate past Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, have been trimmed down to six counts.

The first 20 charges were almost exclusively related to alleged procurement. The Federal Government claimed in the initial allegation that N6.5 billion had been lost to procurement fraud.

The initial charges were initially brought in August.

Emefiele was accused with April 1616 Investment, a corporation owned by Sa'adatu Yaro, a female employee of CBN.

The purported procurement fraud was valued at N1.2 billion instead of N6.9 billion.

The Federal Government said in the new charge sheet that Emefiele unlawfully purchased 43 automobiles for N1.2 billion between 2018 and 2020. The previous governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was charged with providing Yaro with a fraudulent advantage when he granted a contract worth N854 million to buy 37 Toyota Hilux vehicles.

Count to one read: "That you, Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, male, adult, sometime in 2018 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did use your position as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria to confer a corrupt advantage on Sa'adatu Ramallan Yaro, a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria by awarding a contract for the supply of 37 Toyota Hilux Vehicles at the cost of N854,700,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa'adatu Ramallan Yaro is a director and thereby committed an offence."

According to the second count, Emefiele gave Yaro, "a staff member of the Central Bank of Nigeria, an unfair advantage by awarding a contract for the supply of one Toyota Avalon at the cost of N99,900,000 only to April1616 Investment Ltd, a company in which the said Sa'adatu Ramallan Yaro Director and thereby committed an offence."

Furthermore, he was charged with giving corrupt benefit in violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 when he granted N73 million for the supply of a single Toyota Landcruiser V8 April1616 Investment Ltd. in 2019.

In addition, he was charged with giving corrupt benefit in violation of Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Act 2000 when he granted N73 million for the supply of a single Toyota Landcruiser V8 April1616 Investment Ltd. in 2019.

The fourth count involves an illegally granted Toyota Landcruiser V8 worth N73,800,000 to April 1616 Investment Ltd.

Emefiele is now the only defendant in the new charge.

Godwin Emefiele arraignment 

Read: EFCC Arrested Emefiele As Soon As He Was Released From DSS Custody

Court Grants Former CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Bail