By Kenneth Atavti
*As EFCC arraigns the embattled former CBN Governor and Omole on fresh 26-count charge today
*Arraignment of Godwin Emefiele and Henry Omole takes place at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos
*The former CBN Governor is alleged to have abused his office over allocation of billions of United States Dollars
*The alleged offences are said to have contravened Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
There is more trouble for former embattled governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele as Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will today, April 8, 2024, arraign him at the Ikeja State High Court in Lagos for alleged abuse of office over allocation of billions of United States Dollars.
Emefiele alongside his co-defendant, one Henry Isioma Omole, will be arraigned on 26 counts before Justice Rahman Oshodi.
The charge, marked ID/23787c/2024, dated April 3, 2024, was filed by Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).
EFCC alleged that Emefiele committed abuse of office between 2022 and 2023, in Lagos.
The Commission 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.”
EFCC 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.
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.
Emefiele’s co defendant, Omoile, was alleged to have “on 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 reward for allocating foreign exchange by the Central Bank in favour of Raja Punjab’s employer.”
According to the charge, the offences committed contravened Section 73 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
It will be recalled that on July 30, last year being 2023, President Bola Tinubu appointed Jim Obazee, Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, as a special investigator to probe the Central Bank of Nigeria and related entities.
