Emefiele Faces A Fresh 26-count Allegation From The EFCC

Godwin Emefiele and his Lawyer in Court

GODWIN Emefiele, the immediately former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), is the target of a new 26-count charge brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The 26-count accusation leans toward corruption and official misuse.

On Monday, April 8, Emefiele and Henry Isioma Omole, his co-defendant, will be arraigned before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja.

Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) filed the charge, which is dated April 3, 2024 and has the ID/23787c/2024 marking.

According to the EFCC, Emefiele abused his position from 2022 to 2023.

Godwin Emefiele is scheduled to appear before Justice Rahman Oshodi on charges related to receiving gifts through agents, accepting gratuity, corruption, receiving property gained fraudulently, and giving his colleagues corrupt advantages in violation of the Corrupt Practices Act of 2000.

The first count of the 26-count accusation says, “that you, GODWIN IFEANYI 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 (Two Billion, One Hundred and thirty-six million, three hundred and ninety-one thousand, seven hundred and thirty- seven Dollars, thirty-three cents) without bids, which act is prejudicial to the rights of Nigerians.”

Emefiele's co-defendant, Omole, was accused of accepting gifts totaling $110,000 from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa on November 17, 2020, in Lagos State while serving as an agent. The gifts were said to have been given to Emefiele as payment for the CBN allocating foreign exchange in favor of Raja Punjab's employer.

The charges stated that the offenses were in violation of Section 73 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2011.