The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh corruption charges against the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, accusing him of acquiring a sprawling estate of 753 housing units in Abuja and laundering billions of naira through proxy accounts.
According to court documents obtained by Premium Times, the EFCC on Friday filed an eight-count charge at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Emefiele, while serving as CBN governor, connived with one Eric Ocheme, now said to be on the run, to acquire a prime estate located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Abuja.
The property in question spans 150,462.86 square metres and reportedly comprises 753 housing units.
Although the EFCC did not name the legal owner of the estate, it had earlier secured a court order to seize the property and subsequently handed it over to the federal government.
However, Emefiele has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja, requesting that it overturn the ruling that granted the government full control of the estate.
Beyond the property allegations, the EFCC claims that Emefiele maintained multiple proxy accounts used to launder funds suspected to be proceeds of corruption. Between January and December 2019, the EFCC alleged he held ₦167 million in a proxy account with Zenith Bank.
In 2020, prosecutors said ₦1.23 billion was found in the Zenith Bank account of Kelvito Integrated Services, jointly controlled by Emefiele and Ocheme.
In 2021, the EFCC claimed another ₦2.94 billion was laundered through the same Kelvito account. The following year, the account allegedly received ₦1.98 billion, also suspected to be of illicit origin.
Additionally, Emefiele is accused of keeping ₦900 million in an account belonging to Ifedigo Integrated Services and another ₦600 million in the same account in 2022.
Forgery And Fraudulent Documents Surface
One of the more startling revelations in the charge sheet is an allegation of forgery. According to the EFCC, in January 2021, Emefiele forged a document titled “Irrevocable Power of Attorney Between MG Properties Limited and H and Y Business Global Limited,” allegedly to mislead stakeholders into believing it was legally executed.
The EFCC said such acts contravened Sections 319, 362, and 364 of the Penal Code.
This fresh case adds to the growing list of corruption allegations dogging the former CBN governor. In Lagos, Emefiele faces charges over the alleged fraudulent allocation of $2 billion in foreign exchange. Other charges include criminal conspiracy, abuse of office, and conferring undue advantage.
Despite the mounting accusations, Emefiele has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The EFCC has disclosed that at least 24 witnesses have been lined up to testify in the case. According to the agency, the witnesses will provide evidence on the acquisition and development of the Lokogoma estate and submit relevant documents to the court.
Emefiele, who served as CBN governor from 2014 to June 2023, was removed from office by President Bola Tinubu. Shortly after his dismissal, he was arrested by the State Security Services (SSS) and reportedly resigned while still in detention.
He is also facing separate charges over the controversial redesign of the naira and other financial misdeeds during his tenure.
