Emefiele in Fresh Trouble as EFCC Files Fresh Charges
Former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is in fresh trouble as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has slammed new charges against him.
The anti-graft agency alleges that Emefiele, in collusion with one Eric Ocheme, now at large, illegally acquired a massive housing estate and controlled billions of naira in proxy accounts.
The property in question, situated in the Lokogoma District of Abuja, spans over 150,000 square meters and comprises 753 housing units.
The EFCC had previously recovered the estate from a former senior government official and obtained a court order to forfeit the property.
However, Emefiele, through his lawyer, A.M. Kotoye (SAN), had filed a motion to challenge the forfeiture order, which was subsequently dismissed by the court.
Undeterred, Emefiele appealed the decision, seeking to overturn the forfeiture order.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has taken possession of the estate and plans to sell it to low- and middle-income Nigerians.
Emefiele has, however, filed an injunction to stop the government from taking further action on the property until his appeal is heard.
The EFCC has filed an eight-count charge against Emefiele, alleging that he knowingly controlled property suspected to have been illegally acquired.
The charges also accuse him of violating the Penal Code Law. Specifically, the charges allege that Emefiele and Ocheme controlled large sums of money in various bank accounts, including those of Kelvito Integrated Services and Ifedigo Integrated Services, between 2019 and 2022.
Furthermore, Emefiele is accused of forging a document in 2021 to deceive others into believing it was authorized by H and Y Business Global Limited. The EFCC has listed 24 witnesses, including representatives from Zenith Bank and Access Bank, to testify against Emefiele when the trial begins.
Emefiele, who served as CBN governor from 2014 until his resignation in June 2023, is facing other criminal charges in Abuja and Lagos High Courts.
His troubles began when he was taken into custody by the Department of State Services in June 2023, and he has been embroiled in a series of legal battles ever since.
