The Federal Government will Wednesday next week arraign the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele and his associates over an alleged procurement fraud worth N6.9 billion, an offence contrary to section 19 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.,
Emefiele will be arraigned alongside a female CBN employee, Sa’adatu Yaro and her company, April1616 Investment Limited on 20 charges of procurement fraud, conspiracy and conferring corrupt advantages on his associates at the Federal Capital Territory High Court.
The suspended CBN has been in the custody of the Depart of State Security since his suspension from office on June 9 by President Bola Tinubu and has been facing several charges relating to abuse of office while he served at the apex bank.
The current charge against him before the court is that Emefiele conferred corrupt advantages on Yaro, a director in April 1616 Investment Ltd in which he allegedly bought 100 vehicles through the employee.
As provided under relevant sections of Nigerian laws, if convicted, Emefiele may be sentenced to five years imprisonment without an option of a fine.
The section read, “any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or any relation or associate of the public officer or any other public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without an option of fine.’’
Emefiele and the other accused persons were alleged to have bought a fleet of over 98 exotic vehicles and armoured buses valued at about N6.9billion between 2018 and 2020 which include 84 Toyota Hilux vehicles, 10 armoured Mercedes Benz buses, three Toyota Landcruisers and one Toyota Avalon car.
