Barely 48 hours after regaining his freedom after weeks in detention at the Kuye Correctional Centre, Abuja, the embattled former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has reacted to a series of publications in the media alleging massive corruption and fraud against his person while in office.
DSS two-count charge
Weeks after the assumption of office by President Bola Tinubu, the Department of State Security (DSS) in July filed a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition against him at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The DSS, which accused him of possessing the firearms in contravention of the provisions of Section 4 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28 Laws of the Federation 2004,said the offence was punishable under Section 27 (1b) of the same Act.
Another charge
Although the matter was later struck out following an application by the Ministry of Justice for its withdrawal, the former CBN governor was arraigned on a six-count charge over alleged N1.6bn procurement fraud.
The initial charge, which was 20 counts to the tune of N6.5 billion, was reduced to six. After pleading not guilty, he ordered remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending his trial.
But Justice Hamza Muazu of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on November 22, granted Emefiele bail in the sum of N300 million and two sureties in like sum. He was in prison till last Friday pending the perfection of his bail conditions.
Fresh allegations
Meanwhile, after more than four months of investigation by a Special Investigator, Jim Obazee, appointed by President Tinubu to probe the activities of the CBN under Emefiele, fresh allegations were preferred against him.
In a recent report made public, Obazee accused Emefiele and others of embezzling billions of Naira as well as other gross financial infractions.
Some of the reports, based of alleged findings and recommendations in a report by the Special investigator submitted to President Tinubu on December 9, 2023 claimed, among others, that Emefiele illegally and fraudulently withdrew cash from the CBN totalling $6.23 million while in office between June 2014 and June 2023.
Also, the report claimed Emefiele perpetrated fraud in the Naira redesign policy, which was implemented without the consent and approval of the then President, Muhammadu Buhari in violation of the CBN Act
The report equally accused Emefiele of keeping the about 543.4 million pounds in a bank in the United Kingdom.
Other allegations against the former CBN governor included that he manipulated the exchange rate; fraudulently misused the Ways and Means to the tune of N26.6 trillion; launched fraudulent intervention programmes; not accounting for the COVID-19 funds, and manipulating presidential approvals.
Consequently, Obazee recommended that Emefiele and others, including his deputy governors, be prosecuted for financial offences.
Emefiele reacts; threatens legal action
However, fresh from his imprisonment, Emefiele in a statement on Sunday in Abuja titled: “Re: Emefiele, Others Stole Billions, Illegally Kept Nigeria’s Funds in Foreign Accounts”, dismissed all the allegations as false and barefaced lies to achieve a satanic agenda
“After my release on bail from the Correctional Centre, Kuje, my attention was drawn to publications released by the Punch Newspaper and Premium Times online news platforms.
“The sources of the information published by both media houses were credited to a certain report prepared by a Mr. Jim Obazee, who was appointed by the President as a private investigator.
“I have gone through the publications, and I say boldly that the contents of the said publications are false, misleading and calculated to disparage my person, injure my character and to serve the selfish interest of the private investigator. Because of my present situation, I have been advised by my lawyers not to say anything in respect of the matters which have been submitted to the court for adjudication.
“However, I need to addressed some of the issues raised in the publication which are barefaced lies told by the investigator in order to achieve his satanic agenda,” Emefiele said.
On allegations concerning the Naira redesign policy, which the Special Investigator’s report claimed the policy was embarked upon contrary to the provisions of the CBN Act 2007, as there was no presidential approval, Emefiele stated: “I wish to state unequivocally that there was, indeed, a presidential approval, and the said approval was handed over to the same Jim Obazee during the process of his investigation in the presence of senior CBN officials and his own investigative team.”
Also, Emefiele said the former President, Muhammadu Buhari has stated on a number of occasions prior to his exit from office that he authorised and approved the Naira redesign project.
He said he was therefore at a loss as to why Mr. Jim Obazee would mislead Nigerians that there was no presidential approval before the implementation of the policy.
On the 6.23 million dollars allegedly withdrawn from the CBN vault based on a false presidential directive bearing the signatures of former President Muhammadu Buhari and the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, Emefiele also denied his involvement in the fraud.
He recalled that about two weeks ago, Jim Obazee, in the company of a certain Deputy Commissioner of Police from Force Cid, visited Kuje Correctional Centre to ask him questions in respect of the said document in the presence of his lawyers.
Emefiele said he had stated verbally and in writing that he had no knowledge of any such directive from the former President and the former SGF.
He said he, infact, I told them that that was the first time he saw the documents, and challenged Jim Obazee to publish the said documents and also the statements he made to them.
On the 593 accounts he purportedly opened in different parts of the world, Emefiele said: “I state categorically that I am not involved in the opening of these accounts and I do not have knowledge of their openings.”
He clarified that the fixed deposits in those foreign accounts were definitely outside his knowledge, although he said the relevant departments of the CBN have the authority to carry out such activities in line with their lawful mandate within the CBN.
“I therefore join well-meaning Nigerians who have spoken on this matter and have demanded a thorough and transparent investigation of all these alleged frauds,” he said.
Besides, he confirmed he had already instructed his lawyers to immediately commence legal processes to clear his name from the defamatory statements contained in the report and by extension the referenced publications.
