THE Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed new charges against former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, accusing him of unlawfully acquiring a 753-unit housing estate in Abuja and managing billions of naira through proxy accounts during his tenure.
In an eight-count charge filed at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, and reported by Premium Times, the EFCC alleged that Emefiele collaborated with an associate, Eric Ocheme (currently at large), to acquire the estate located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
The property spans approximately 150,462.86 square meters and comprises 753 housing units.
The EFCC claimed that Emefiele collaborated with Ocheme to execute the acquisition in August 2021.
The anti-graft agency also accused Emefiele of laundering billions of naira through companies namely Kelvito Integrated Services and Ifeadigo Integrated Services, using multiple Zenith Bank accounts suspected to hold funds from unlawful sources.
Among the allegations, the EFCC alleged that between 2019 and 2022, Emefiele kept large sums in proxy accounts: ₦167 million in 2019, ₦1.23 billion in 2020, ₦2.94 billion in 2021, and ₦1.98 billion in 2022, all linked to Kelvito Integrated Services.
Another ₦900 million was allegedly held in an Ifeadigo Integrated Services account by the former CBN governor.
Recall that the EFCC handed over the estate to the Federal Government after it secured a court order for the forfeiture of the estate.
However, Emefiele is making frantic efforts at the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgment granting the Nigerian government full control of the estate.
In November 2023, Emefiele was sent to Kuje Correctional Centre over an alleged N1.6 billion procurement fraud after he was arraigned on a six-count charge before an FCT High Court.
The ICIR reported on March 7, 2023, that a forensic analyst confirmed before an FCT High Court that the documents used by Emefiele to request the payment of $6.2 million to foreign election observers were forged.
The analyst, Bamaiyi Meriga, disclosed that he appeared as a witness for the EFCC during Emefiele’ strial.
Meriga, who appeared before Hamza Adamu, a judge, told the court that following forensic analysis of the documents, he discovered clear evidence of forgery of the signature and seal of execution, different from the original version.
In another case involving the former CBN governor in April 2024, a Lagos State High Court granted N50 million bail to him for abuse of office and other infractions.
The judge, Rahmon Oshodi, ruled on the bail application and admitted Emefiele on bail with two sureties in like sum.
The former CBN governor is still facing various cases bothering on fraud in different courts.
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