George Uboh, Chairman of George Uboh Whistle-blowers Network (GUWN), has been arraigned during the week for exposing financial misappropriation by Godwin Emefiele, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Uboh was arraigned at the Federal High Court, Abuja on a two-count charge of disseminating false information about the CBN Governor.
Meanwhile, Uboh was the first to file a suit against Emefiele.
In a case with the Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/419/2019 which has Uboh as the sole plaintiff and Godwin Emefiele, the senate president, the senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria and the President of Nigeria as defendants.
Through the suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, Uboh had asked the court to restrain the Senate from exercising its ‘confirmational’ powers in regard to the re-appointment of 1st Defendant(Emefiele) by the fourth Defendant (the president of Nigeria).
In the lawsuit filed against Emefiele by Uboh, a copy of which was sent to SaharaReporters, Uboh had alleged that the CBN under the watch of Mr. Emefiele conspired with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) to divert two billion, five hundred and sixty-four million dollars ($2,564000000 in 2015), money he claimed was expected to be shared through Federal Account Allocation Committee(FAAC) in January 2016 to the three tiers of government.
Count one of the charges read, “That you George Uboh ‘m’ of No. 11 Nuh Street, Maitama, Abuja on or about the 12th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did give information which you know or believe to be false that Mr Godwin Emefiele CON Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria under-declared or under-remitted the sum of N232 billion ($760B) exchange gains by CBN which accrued from Bureau De Change to Federation account in 2017.
Your action is capable of tarnishing the image of the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 140(B) of the Penal code.”
Count two read, “That you George Uboh ‘m’ of No. 11 Nuh Street, Maitama, Abuja on or about the 12th day of May 2019, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did defame Mr. Godwin Emefiele CON Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria when you falsely alleged in your petition and was published by Sahara Reporters (an online news media) that he under-declared or under-remitted the sum of N232 billion ($760bn) exchange gains by CBN which accrued from Bureau De Change to Federation account in 2017, which caused him disaffection among his friend and other persons and you thereby commit and offence contrary to Section 391 (1) and punishable under Section 392 of the Penal Code.”