The government led by Bola Tinubu has announced its intention to press charges against the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, along with his associates. The charges, totaling ₦6.9 billion procurement fraud, are scheduled to be presented before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on Thursday.
Emefiele, alongside Sa’adatu Yaro, a female employee of the CBN, and her company, April 1616 Investment Limited, is set to face a 20-count indictment encompassing allegations of procurement fraud, conspiracy, and conferring corrupt advantages upon associates.
The former CBN governor, who has been under detention since his suspension from office by President Tinubu on June 9, stands accused of granting illicit advantages to Yaro, a director at April 1616 Investment Ltd. These actions are said to be in violation of section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
If found guilty, Emefiele could face a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, with no possibility of a fine.
The charges, endorsed by the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Abubakar, along with Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, N. Jones-Nebo, and eight other officials, center on allegations that the trio facilitated the purchase of a fleet of luxurious vehicles and armored buses valued at approximately N6.9 billion.
The acquired vehicles, obtained between 2018 and 2020, consist of 84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, 10 armored Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Land Cruisers, and one Toyota Avalon car.
Emefiele is further accused of providing an unfair advantage to Yaro's company by awarding a contract for the supply of a Toyota Avalon at a cost of ₦99.9 million in 2019. Another contract for the procurement of a Toyota Land Cruiser V8, worth ₦77.050 million, was also allegedly awarded to the third defendant in 2018.
Prominent figures slated to serve as witnesses against the accused include Stanley Alvan, the CBN Director of Procurement, Mike Agboro, the CBN Head of Procurement, and Tahir Jafar. Additional witnesses are expected to be presented as part of the supplementary evidence.