Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is in for another round of legal hurdle following the filing of a fresh criminal charge against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The commission is accusing of stealing and acquisition of multimillion dollars properties in Abuja.
The fresh eight counts detailed how Emefiele allegedly acquired an estate with 753 housing units and kept possession of billions of naira in proxy accounts, while he was serving as the CBN governor.
The commission said Mr Emefiele connived with one Eric Ocheme, said to be on the run, to obtain the properties in August 2021.
The estate, located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, FCT, Abuja measuring 150,462.86 SQM, comprised 753 housing units.
According to Premium Times, the commission alleged in the fresh charges against the CBN governor that between January and December 2019 in Abuja, he domiciled N167 million in a proxy account with Zenith Bank. Prosecutors said the sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
The EFCC further alleged that between January and December 2020, Mr Emefiele and co-conspirator, Mr Ocheme, held N1.23 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank. “The sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained,” the EFCC said.
Count four of the charges read: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE and ERIC OCHEME (AT LARGE) between January and December 2021 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly had under control the total sum of N2, 945,331,050 (Two Billion, Nine Hundred and Forty Five Million, Three Hundred and Thirty One Thousand Fifty Naira.) domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.”
In count five of the charges, EFCC said between January and December 2022, Mr Emefiele and his conspirator knowingly had under control the total sum of N1.98 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
The anti-graft also said the former bank chief allegedly domiciled N900 million in Ifedigo Integrated Services’ account No: 1210750237 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
In the fresh charges, the prosecution alleged Mr Emefiele kept N600 million domiciled in Ifedigo Integrated Services’ account No: 1210750237 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc.
"The sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained,” the commission said.
NATIONAL POST recalls that is is coming days after the anti-graft agency handed over the 753 duplexes to the ministry of housing and urban development.
Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the EFCC, handed over the forfeited estate to Ahmed Dangiwa, the minister of housing and urban development, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Emefiele has proceeded to the Court of Appeal where he seeks to regain ownership of the property which was forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria on the orders of an FCT High Court.