BY MICHAEL AKINOLA
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will Monday, April 8, 2024, arraign a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele at the State High Court in Ikeja Lagos for alleged abuse of office over allocation of billions of United States dollars.
Emefiele and his co-defendant, one Henry Isioma Omole, are facing a 26-count charge before Justice R.A Oshodi.
The charge sheet, marked ID/23787c/2024, was dated April 3, 2024. It was filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo.
The 1st count states that Emefiele committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos, of “abuse of office”, an offence punishable under Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The count 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.”
Count two, also of abuse of office, 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.
In the 3rd count, 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 was $370,872,893.01.
In count 5, Emefiele’s co defendant Omoile was accused of, “about the 17th of November, 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court whilst acting as an agent accepted from Raja Punjab through Monday Osazuwa, the total sum of $110,000, for GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, gifts as reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favor of Raja Punjab’s employer.
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