The embattled ex-governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele is being faced with fresh charges the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accused him of using N18.9bn to print N684.5m naira notes.
The anti-graft agency filed the fresh charges aginst Emefiele at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and will be arraigned before Justice Maryann Anenih on April 30, 2024.
In the fresh 4 count charge filed against him, the EFCC alleged that Emefiele disobeyed the direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public during his implementation of the naira swap policy of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of unlawfully approving the withdrawal of N124.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation.
This latest arraignment adds to the tally of charges pending against the former CBN governor, bringing the total to three.
On November 17, 2023, Emefiele stood before Justice Hamza Muazu facing a six-count charge of procurement fraud, to which he pleaded not guilty.
Additionally, he faced allegations of office abuse for authorizing a contract worth N1.2 billion for the acquisition of 43 vehicles between 2018 and 2020.
Then, on April 8, 2024, the EFCC brought forward another case, this time alongside Henry Omoile, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. The charges involved an alleged $4.5 billion and N2.8 billion fraud, to which he also pleaded not guilty.
The most recent charge, dated April 2, 2024, was filed by EFFC prosecutor, Senior Advocate of Nigeria Rotimi Oyedepo, along with eight other lawyers representing the Attorney General of the Federation.
Counts one to four of the charge, read: “STATEMENT OF OFFENCE: Public Servant disobeying direction of law with intent to cause injury to the public contrary to and punishable under Section 123 of the Penal Code Law, Cap. 89 Laws of the Federation, 1990.
“PARTICULARS OF THE OFFENCE: That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of N375,520,000.00 pieces of colour swapped N1, 000, at the total cost of N11,052, 068,062 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.
COUNT 2: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, between the 19th of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 172,000,000 pieces of colour swapped N500 (Five Hundred Naira) Notes, at the total cost of N4, 471,066,040 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.
COUNT 3: “That you GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE between the 19th day of October 2022 and 5th March 2023 in Abuja, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 19 of the CBN Act, 2007, by approving the printing of 137,070,000 pieces of colour swapped N200 (Two Hundred Naira) Note, at the total cost of N3, 441, 005, 280 without the recommendation of the Board of Central Bank and the strict approval of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”
COUNTY 4: “That you, GODWIN IFEANYI EMEFIELE, on or about the 7th day of October 2020, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, knowingly disobeyed the direction of Section 80 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), by approving the withdrawal of the total sum of N124, 860, 227, 865.16 from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation in a manner not prescribed by the National Assembly, which conduct of yours caused injury to the public and you thereby committed an offence.”
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