By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Africanews
Published on 2024-01-18 16:12:45
State prosecutors in Nigeria have brought forth 14 new criminal charges against Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). This case marks one of the most high-profile corruption charges under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The new charges stem from a report by a presidential team tasked with investigating alleged wrongdoings at Nigeria’s apex bank. Media reports indicate that a special investigator probing the Central Bank found that Emefiele and others embezzled $1.3m and committed other financial offenses.
Emefiele led the Central Bank for nine years before being forced to resign following his arrest. State prosecutors informed a judge in Abuja that the new charges against him include forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, felony, procurement fraud, and criminal breach of trust. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, stated that Emefiele would be indicted on the amended charges and was expected to enter a plea.
One of Emefiele’s lawyers, Matthew Burkaa, stated that they would need time to study the new charges before making a plea. After spending five months in detention, Emefiele was granted bail in December and was initially restricted to traveling within the capital, Abuja. However, his bail was later amended to include travel outside of Abuja and within the country.
The new charges against Emefiele are in addition to those brought against him in November by the EFCC, which included six counts of fraud involving 1.2bn naira ($1.3m). Emefiele, 62, was once one of the most powerful people in Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari.
During his tenure, Emefiele oversaw a system of multiple exchange rates criticized for artificially strengthening the local currency, Naira. His policy of redesigning the Naira also raised concerns about his sincerity in the context of President Buhari’s presidency and Bola Tinubu’s candidacy.
Millions of Nigerians reportedly faced difficulties due to the controversial Naira swap policy, which many accused Emefiele of orchestrating to hinder politicians’ access to campaign funds and potential voter buying. Despite former President Buhari’s justification for the policy, analysts believe it triggered economic disruption and chaos in the polity for both urban and rural dwellers.
