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Emefiele Detained by EFCC Following Release from DSS Custody
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, finds himself in custody once more, this time detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He was apprehended by EFCC operatives in Jabi, Abuja, shortly after being freed by the Department of State Services (DSS). Emefiele is currently undergoing questioning at the anti-graft agency’s National Headquarters.
An undisclosed source disclosed this development on Friday morning, revealing that the EFCC has initiated an investigation into Emefiele’s alleged financial improprieties during his tenure as the head of the CBN.
According to the source, “Yes, Emefiele is currently in our (EFCC) custody; he was arrested last night less than an hour after the DSS freed him. He’s currently being interrogated at the Headquarters, as he’s being investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds among other things during his term as CBN governor.”
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Additional charges against Mr Emefiele by the EFCC may be forthcoming, though there is no official confirmation from the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, at the moment.
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Emefiele had been in DSS custody since June, following his suspension from the CBN by President Bola Tinubu. He was asked to transfer his duties to Folashodun Adebisi Shonubi, the then Deputy Governor of the CBN’s Operations Directorate. A day later, the DSS announced his detainment for investigative reasons.
On July 25, Emefiele was arraigned in a Lagos federal high court on a two-count charge related to the “illegal possession” of firearms and was granted bail of N20 million. However, the Federal Government later withdrew these charges on August 17. Subsequently, a new 20-count charge was filed against him, including alleged conspiracy to commit procurement fraud, among other accusations.
Emefiele’s arraignment has been postponed twice, and there were reports of him proposing a plea bargain agreement with the Federal Government, which would have required him to resign as CBN governor and relinquish certain assets. On September 22, the CBN officially confirmed Emefiele’s resignation, following the appointment of Olayemi Cardoso as the new substantive governor of the apex bank.
